Compliance with Urinary Catheter Removal Guidelines Leads to Improved Outcome in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Patients

The objective of the study was to determine whether compliance with Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) urinary catheter recommendations is associated with decreased urinary tract infections (UTI) and length of stay (LOS).

Patients having colorectal surgery at 15 academic hospitals were included. Patient and outcome data were collected prospectively. The guideline recommends that urinary catheters following colonic and rectal procedures should be removed at or before 24 and 72 h, respectively.

Two thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven patients (1397 females and 1522 males; mean age 60.3 years) were enrolled. Small bowel or colonic procedures were performed in 1897 (64.9%) and rectal procedures in 1030 (35.2%) patients. Overall, 53.2% of patients had their catheter removed in compliance with the guidelines (44.3% after colonic resections and 69.5% after rectal resections). Following colonic operations, 0.8% of patients who were guideline compliant had a UTI compared to 4.1% non-compliant patients (RR 0.20, 95% CI 0.07–0.58; p = 0.003). Following rectal operations, 3.5% of patients who were guideline compliant had a UTI compared to 9.6% of patients who were non-compliant (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.20–0.68; p = 0.001). Median LOS was decreased in compliant patients: 4 vs 5 days following colonic procedures (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.66–0.82; p < 0.0001) and 5 vs 8 days following rectal procedures (RR 0.54, 95% CI 0.49–0.59; p < 0.001).

Early removal of urinary catheters is associated with a decreased risk of UTI and LOS.