Reducing urinary tract infections in care homes by improving hydration

Dehydration may increase the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), which can lead to confusion, falls, acute kidney injury and hospital admission. We aimed to reduce the number of UTIs in care home residents which require admission to hospital. The principal intervention was the introduction of s...

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Main Authors: Charles Vincent, Katie Lean, Rasanat Fatima Nawaz, Sundus Jawad
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2019-08-01
Series:BMJ Open Quality
Online Access:https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/8/3/e000563.full
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author Charles Vincent
Katie Lean
Rasanat Fatima Nawaz
Sundus Jawad
author_facet Charles Vincent
Katie Lean
Rasanat Fatima Nawaz
Sundus Jawad
author_sort Charles Vincent
collection DOAJ
description Dehydration may increase the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), which can lead to confusion, falls, acute kidney injury and hospital admission. We aimed to reduce the number of UTIs in care home residents which require admission to hospital. The principal intervention was the introduction of seven structured drink rounds every day accompanied by staff training and raising awareness. UTIs requiring antibiotics reduced by 58% and UTIs requiring hospital admissions reduced by 36%, when averaged across the four care homes. Care home residents benefited from greater fluid intake, which in turn may have reduced infection. Structured drink rounds were a low-cost intervention for preventing UTIs and implemented easily by care staff.
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series BMJ Open Quality
spelling doaj-art-4bd6ff7ecce041b0877ac36178172fea2025-08-20T02:11:00ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Quality2399-66412019-08-018310.1136/bmjoq-2018-000563Reducing urinary tract infections in care homes by improving hydrationCharles Vincent0Katie Lean1Rasanat Fatima Nawaz2Sundus Jawad3Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UKPatient Safety, Oxford Patient Safety Collaborative, Oxford, UKPatient Safety, Oxford Patient Safety Collaborative, Oxford, UKMedicines Optimisation Team, NHS East Berkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Windsor, UKDehydration may increase the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), which can lead to confusion, falls, acute kidney injury and hospital admission. We aimed to reduce the number of UTIs in care home residents which require admission to hospital. The principal intervention was the introduction of seven structured drink rounds every day accompanied by staff training and raising awareness. UTIs requiring antibiotics reduced by 58% and UTIs requiring hospital admissions reduced by 36%, when averaged across the four care homes. Care home residents benefited from greater fluid intake, which in turn may have reduced infection. Structured drink rounds were a low-cost intervention for preventing UTIs and implemented easily by care staff.https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/8/3/e000563.full
spellingShingle Charles Vincent
Katie Lean
Rasanat Fatima Nawaz
Sundus Jawad
Reducing urinary tract infections in care homes by improving hydration
BMJ Open Quality
title Reducing urinary tract infections in care homes by improving hydration
title_full Reducing urinary tract infections in care homes by improving hydration
title_fullStr Reducing urinary tract infections in care homes by improving hydration
title_full_unstemmed Reducing urinary tract infections in care homes by improving hydration
title_short Reducing urinary tract infections in care homes by improving hydration
title_sort reducing urinary tract infections in care homes by improving hydration
url https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/8/3/e000563.full
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AT rasanatfatimanawaz reducingurinarytractinfectionsincarehomesbyimprovinghydration
AT sundusjawad reducingurinarytractinfectionsincarehomesbyimprovinghydration