What do you think about foleys and infection?

[BlearnRN]

There is this doctor at my hospital that is anti-foley. A person will only have it two to three days. That would be okay if it were a person who could actually get out of bed to the BR or ask to go to the bathroom. But, he will even dc it on a person who has multiple decubs, needs to be turned every two hours and is incontinent of stool. I am all for preventing infection and getting a foley out of someone as soon as possible but, come on! When they are on fluids, confused and aphasic related to a recent stroke they have had. It is not like we have the staff available to be changing these people every 15 to 30 minutes ( most of them also being over or close to 200lbs). - and i don't like the idea of people sitting in a urine soaked diaper so it will get done because it has to-. More times than not, we have had to put the foley back in. So what do you think?

[nursemanit]

"there are other (realistic) considerations."

This is addressed in the research see citation 2--- Judgment requires a knowledge of the existing research - without that it is just opinion.

[leslie :-D]

"there are other (realistic) considerations."

This is addressed in the research see citation 2--- Judgment requires a knowledge of the existing research - without that it is just opinion.

we KNOW that foleys are a last resort.

this is nothing new.

leslie

[nursemanit]

But do you Know

"ut, i am a huge proponent of meticulous foley care.

scrub that peri area clean, or else (female) pt will likely get e coli "

I think the research would provide some clarification to that point, Not that it is wrong - but the studies in relation to UIT are not as confident as you are.

My point is not the foley care, the point is that the OP (and all practicing nurses) need to get clinical information from research not from querying other nurses.

[leslie :-D]

My point is not the foley care, the point is that the OP (and all practicing nurses) need to get clinical information from research not from querying other nurses.

until you're an experienced nurse, please reserve your judgment.

to infer that nurses (less their knowledge of research) don't understand the various etiologies of infection, is inaccurate and insulting.

i'd confer w/a veteran and competent nurse at anytime.

and ftr, many of hospital acquired uti's are indeed, r/t inadequate foley care.

i haven't read your profile:

are you a nursing student?

leslie

[nursemanit]

I am about to hit on 15 years as an RN, And yes I am a student, I will always be a student. Besides graduate school, and full time work I also keep up with the major journals. Experienced nurses who have actively continued their (formal or informal) education are priceless!! Experienced nurses who only do what they were taught 20-30 years ago are dangerous. Unfortunately it is hard to tell on a forum when asking questions which is which. That is why it concerns me when people solicit opinions on clinical topics on a forum.

I have to get back to my "required" research now but this was a pleasant debate -- till later..

[leslie :-D]

Experienced nurses who only do what they were taught 20-30 years ago are dangerous. Unfortunately it is hard to tell on a forum when asking questions which is which that is why it concerns me when people solicit opinions on clinical topics on a forum.

you raise a valid point re experienced nurses clinging onto outdated beliefs.

the subject of this thread is foleys/infection.

i stated that meticulous pericare is a major factor in prevention.

yet i certainly recognize it is not the only factor.

other considerations would be immunity status, prophylactic use of abx, hcw's not washing their hands betw pts, length of stay in the hospital, severity of pt illness, etc.

since you are a nurse, then you would readily admit to dealing w/too many catheters that have dried, crusted feces and the labia is also grossly smeared w/same.

that's what hits you in the face, first and foremost.

and that was my contention.

peace.

leslie

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

Haven't read all the posts but thought I'd mention that medicare will no longer pay for nosocomial infections. This includes UTI's. Many doctor's where I work are getting away from foleys for that reason-they are used only for patients that have decubiti or for really long cases..Even the total joint patients don't get them like they used to. I think this is a good thing. Foleys by nature are just asking for infection. I know it can be very convenient for a patient to have a foley, but UTI's are nothing to play with.

[Logos]

For what it is worth, as a patient- caths suck- I think they should be pulled unless medically necessary. Using them because you are understaffed w/CNA's is a crappyass reason to use them.