Improper Catheter Bag Placement on Trash Can
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that a resident’s indwelling urinary catheter drainage bag was improperly attached to a trash can next to the bed. The urine in the catheter tubing was described as cloudy with sediment, and the trash can being used to support the bag contained trash in the bottom. The resident’s clinical record showed diagnoses including a history of urinary tract infection (UTI), acute kidney failure, anxiety disorder, chronic pain syndrome, hypertension, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, urinary retention, and atrial fibrillation. A recent physician’s order documented that the resident had been prescribed ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice daily for 14 days for a UTI. During interviews, the ADON stated the catheter bag should not be placed on the trash can and acknowledged that the resident had a history of UTI and that placing the catheter bag on the trash can could contribute to infection. The Medical Record Nurse also indicated the catheter bag was not supposed to be on the trash can and that the resident was at risk of infection. A QMA confirmed that the catheter bag should be hung on the bed rail and never on the trash can, explaining that hanging the bag on a dirty trash can would put the resident at risk of developing a major infection. The facility’s Infection Prevention and Control Program policy indicated it was designed to help prevent the development and transmission of communicable diseases and infections and to monitor compliance with infection control practices and procedures, which was not followed in this instance.
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