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Thought Leader Session

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Aging Adult Track

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Research Snapshot Theater: Quality and Patient Safety/Epidemiology - Outcomes, Adult

Comprehensive Strategy to Reduce CAUTIs in the ICU: A Quality Improvement Initiative

Sunday, March 22, 2026

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Central Time

Location: Connections Central - RST 11

Vinaya R. Sermadevi, MD (she/her/hers)

Mercy Hospital Saint Louis, Missouri

Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose.
KK

Kendra Kelly, RN

Quality Specialist
Mercy Hospital St Louis

Disclosure information not submitted.
GD

Gil Diesel, RN

Infection Prevention Manager
Mercy Hospital St Louis

Disclosure information not submitted.
RD

Rachel Dutton, RN

RN
Mercy Hospital St Louis

Disclosure information not submitted.
HA

Haley Allard, RN

RN
Mercy Hospital St Louis

Disclosure information not submitted.
KK

Kelley Kornfeld, RN

RN
Mercy Hospital St Louis

Disclosure information not submitted.
EG

Elizabeth Glidewell, RN

RN
Mercy Hospital St Louis

Disclosure information not submitted.
AT

Alayna Titus, APP

APP
Mercy Hospital St Louis

Disclosure information not submitted.
KH

Kyle Hoff, APP

APP
Mercy Hospital St Louis

Disclosure information not submitted.
CK

Chaitanya Karlapalem, MD

MERCY HOSPITAL, Missouri

Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose.
JS

Johnny Soter, MD

Critical Care Fellow
Mercy Hospital St Louis/St Louis University, Missouri

Disclosure information not submitted.
GD

Gina Davis, MD

Trauma Medical Director
Mercy Hospital St Louis

Disclosure information not submitted.
AJ

Abbie Jensen, MD

Trauma ICU Director
Mercy Hospital St Louis

Disclosure information not submitted.
AS

Anil Srivastava, MD, FACS

Trauma Surgeon
Mercy Hospital Saint Louis

Disclosure information not submitted.
Melinda Miller, MD (she/her/hers)

Mercy Hospital Saint Louis, Missouri

Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose.
CV

Chakradhar Venkata, MD

Critical Care Physician
Mercy Hospital Saint Louis

Disclosure information not submitted.
SG

Sarah Gastman, RN

Quality Management-Director
Mercy Hospital St Louis

Disclosure information not submitted.
FS

Farid Sadaka, MD

Mercy Heart and Vascular Hospital St. Louis, Missouri

Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose.

Introduction: Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs) are a significant concern in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), leading to increased patient morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. This quality improvement project aimed to reduce CAUTI rates in the ICU through a multifaceted intervention implemented. The primary objective was to decrease CAUTI rates by reducing unnecessary Foley catheter utilization.

Methods: The intervention comprised several components: Daily Checklist for Foley Catheter Removal, Charge nurses ensuring prompt removal of Foley catheters unless clinically necessary, Weekly Audits of Foley Utilization (Audits monitored catheter use and adherence to guidelines), Performance Metric Emails (Weekly emails provided feedback on performance metrics to clinical teams), and collaboration and meetings with Urology, Trauma, Nephrology, Cardiothoracic Surgery (CTS), and Vascular Surgery. Criteria for Foley Catheter utilization: Foley catheters were placed or retained only for specific conditions such as genitourinary (GU) procedures, prone positioning, and chronic foleys. Intermittent straight catheterization was preferred if needed up to three times in 24 hours. Standardized Utilization Ratio (SUR) is the ratio of observed to expected catheter days, with a goal of < 0.5. Standardized Infection Ratio (SIR) is the ratio of observed to expected infections, with a goal of < 0.59. This data included patients in CY 2024 with intervention started in September 2024.

Results: Data analysis revealed a significant decrease in Foley SUR across all ICUs: Medical ICU (MICU, reduction from 0.525 to 0.37, p = 0.001), Cardiovascular ICU (CVICU, reduction from 0.792 to 0.377, p = 0.001), and Neurotrauma ICU (NTICU, reduction from 0.539 to 0.361, p = 0.001). The overall SIR significantly improved from 1.1 to 0.39 (p = 0.0001).

Conclusions: The comprehensive quality intervention was effective in reducing Foley catheter utilization and CAUTI rates in the ICU. Continued adherence to these practices is recommended to sustain and further improve patient outcomes.