Don't miss this year's Symposium
Unfortunate circumstances prevent my attendance at the upcoming Nursing2012 Symposium. There are many sessions I'd love to attend. I'd like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation for this journal. I've been a subscriber for 25+ years and it's always helped me give the best care possible to a very diverse patient population.
Editor's note: We hope your circumstances change and you can join us in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., April 25-28! We encourage nurses to visit http://www.NursingSymposium.com for more information.
Fresh catheter required?
In a recent Advice P.R.N. department, you advised a reader that changing a urinary catheter before obtaining a specimen for culture is unnecessary ("Obtaining Urine Specimens: Fresh Catheter Required?" January).* This answer was incomplete. According to the Association of Professionals of Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), "...If a CAUTI [catheter-associated urinary tract infection] is suspected, the best practice is removal of the old catheter before obtaining the specimen in order to eliminate the confounding factor of possible catheter biofilm. If an indication for urinary catheterization still exists in a patient suspected of having a CAUTI, obtain the urine specimen after replacing the old one."1 Obtaining a fresh specimen from a newly inserted catheter represents current practice standards and is supported by good evidence.2
-TONYA WARREN, BSN, RN
Waco, Tex.
-GLORIA ESCALONA, MS, RN, PHN
Infection Preventionist
San Francisco, Calif.
-STEVEN J. SCHWEON, MSN, MPH, RN, CIC, HEM
Infection Preventionist
Saylorsburg, PA
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