In addition to catheters often staying in too long, researchers say many patients may not actually need a catheter in the first place. File Photo by Rhoda Baer/Wikimedia Commons

July 1 (UPI) -- Objects like catheters, needles and other indwelling devices are responsible for many of the infection problems in hospitals, according to a new study.

In fact, new research published on Monday in American Journal of Critical Care, showed catheters and similar devices cause about 25 percent of hospital infections.


"Even those mundane, simple things can have unintended consequences way beyond their scope," Milisa Manojlovich, a researcher at the University of Michigan School of Nursing and study author, said in a news release. "People get catheters all the time, but meanwhile they cause lots of harm so we need to talk about them. This study found a whole host of factors that affected the ability to discuss this issue."

The researchers estimate up to 90 percent of intensive care patients use catheters, and between 10 percent and 30 percent of patients outside the ICU have urinary catheters inserted. In many of these cases, the devices stay in too long or don't need to be used at all, according to the study.

For the study, the researchers interviewed a handful of physician assistants, nurses and doctors about why it's so difficult to remove catheters from patients in a timely manner. The responses ranged from poor communication to friction between doctors and nurses to poorly organized workflows.

In many cases, doctors or nurses don't always know a patient is wearing a catheter because it's under a blanket. Also, many patients prefer catheters to constantly getting out of bed to use the bathroom.

"Any foreign object in the body carries an infection risk, and a catheter can serve as a superhighway for bacteria to enter the bloodstream or body," Manojlovich said.