Indwelling catheters: women's knowledge of care and complications

Abstract

Catheterization is a procedure that can subject women to provider-induced urinary tract infections (UTIs) and nosocomial infections. A descriptive study was conducted of women admitted to Parirenyatwa Referral Hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe. The main objective was to explore the women's knowledge of catheter care and complications of catheterization. A convenience sample of 20 admitted women was recruited. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect data, which were recorded, grouped, and analyzed using descriptive statistics in the form of frequencies, percentages, and tables. The study findings illustrate that in general the women had little knowledge about factors that influence catheterization. Also, most health-care practitioners did not know that indwelling urinary catheters (IUCs) cause most nosocomial infections. Health education sessions should be extended to patients/clients and communities to inform them about catheter care and the complications that can arise from catheterization.