RN Nursing · Urinary Tract Infections · Practice question
A nurse is planning care for a client who has a history of UTIs and requires an indwelling urinary catheter. Which of the following actions should the nurse take to minimize the client's risk for acquiring a UTI?
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Keep the urinary bag at bladder level when ambulating.
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Allow the catheter to air dry after washing with soap and water.
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Instruct the client to wipe from back to front after each bowel movement.
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✓
Use a catheter 18 French or smaller for the procedure.
Answer & explanation
Correct: Use a catheter 18 French or smaller for the procedure.
Using a catheter that is 18 French or smaller is an appropriate evidence-based practice to minimize the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). A smaller catheter size reduces urethral trauma, decreases irritation of the urethra, and limits disruption of periurethral secretions that serve as a natural barrier against ascending microorganisms. Keeping the urinary drainage bag at bladder level during ambulation is incorrect because the bag must always remain below the level of the bladder to prevent retrograde flow of urine back into the bladder, which introduces bacteria. Allowing the catheter to air dry after washing is inappropriate; catheter care should maintain a closed system, and any break in that system increases infection risk. Instructing the client to wipe from back to front after a bowel movement is actually a practice that promotes UTI by introducing fecal bacteria toward the urethral meatus; the correct technique is front to back. Selecting the smallest appropriate catheter size is a recognized CAUTI prevention strategy endorsed by infection control guidelines, making this the correct answer.
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