Indwelling urinary catheter placement and removal practices among surgical patients at Kigali University Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: Indwelling urinary Catheters (IUCs) are routinely used medical devices among patients undergoing surgery and their undue use is a risk factor for urinary tract infections (UTIs). The study aim was to assess IUCs placement and removal practices among patients undergoing surgery.

Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study on 207 patients operated at Kigali University Teaching Hospital (KUTH). A pretested observation checklist (Cronbach: α=0.851) was used for data collection. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Chi-square test was used to determine the association between patients’ characteristics and IUCs placement and removal.

Results: The IUC placement rate was 56.5% (n=117). There was significant association of IUCs use with gender, age, type and urgency of surgical procedures performed and the type of anesthesia used. Appropriate indication for IUC placement was established in 95.7% patients (n=112). Although 99.1% (n=116) patients were discharged from theatre with IUCs in situ, only 56.5% (n=66) had documented removal instructions.

Conclusion: This study established that IUCs use is common and justified in surgery. However, lack of removal instruction was found to be a challenge. Therefore, the authors recommend patients’ re-evaluation for post-surgery IUC need and its early removal where inappropriate to prevent CAUTIs and other complications.

Keywords: Indwelling urinary catheter use, surgical patients, surgery