The new CDC guidelines released in November 2009 now include the use of Bladder Volume Ultrasound to help prevent UTIs caused by catheter insertion and use.

This technology has been updated in the guidelines, dating all the way back to 1981 and were in much need of an upgrade since new technology has made the procedures safer and more preventative of UTI risk.

Bladder volume ultrasounds make it easier for hospital staff to measure the urine volume in the bladder to better determine the necessity of a urinary catheter.  There are many cases where a catheter is no longer needed or is not necessary; the bladder volume ultrasound makes it easy to make the decision.

UTIs are one of the most common risks in the hospital, and these procedures should help lessen the risk in the future.  From the original article:

In 2002, the CDC estimated that UTIs accounted for 36% of all nosocomial infections. That year, more than 13,000 deaths were attributed to hospital-acquired UTIs.(5) Up to 25% of hospitalized patients have a urinary catheter placed during their stay. The use of indwelling urinary catheters accounts for 80% of nosocomial UTIs. (2, 6)

The new CDC guidelines indicate that, “an estimated 17% to 69% of CAUTI may be preventable with recommended infection control measures, which means that up to 380,000 infections and 9000 deaths related to CAUTI per year could be prevented.

css.php