Problems with long-term urinary catheters create a considerable demand on emergency departments and are very costly to healthcare systems, according to a new study from South East London.
Patients with long-term urinary catheters should have access to community nursing services, but most patients in this study had minimal community nurse support. "More than 80% of patients attended the emergency department for a simple catheter problem, and only 14% actually saw a community nurse beforehand," said June Tay, lead author of the BJU International article.
The findings indicate that better strategies are needed so that issues with long-term urinary catheters can be addressed and managed effectively in the community.
Source: Wiley