Dangerous urinary tract infections common in nursing homes
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in nursing home residents can often have serious effects, including delirium, debilitating falls and even fatal blood infections.
Now, new research finds the infections are common in nursing homes, often due to a lack of proper prevention.
UTIs can have a devastating impact on frail, debilitated individuals, said Donna Armellino, a nurse and vice president of infection prevention at Northwell Health, in Lake Success, N.Y. She reviewed the new findings.
It is obvious, based on this random survey of nursing homes, that there is a lack of education and inconsistent practices that can raise the risk for infection, she said.
In younger people, UTIs can be a painful nuisance that is usually treated with an antibiotic. But in the infirm elderly, the risk to health can be much greater, another expert explained.
UTIs in the elderly can have a significant health impact by leading to a confused delirious state or -- if undiagnosed -- leading to dehydration or infection in the bloodstream, explained Dr. Paula Lester, a geriatrician at Winthrop-University Hospital, in Mineola, N.Y.
Since so many nursing home residents suffer from dementia, or have conditions that rob them of their ability to communicate, identifying a UTI can be difficult, she said.
Nonverbal patients, or those with cognitive impairment, usually cannot report traditional UTI symptoms of painful urination, foul odor of urine or increased frequency of urination, Lester noted.
So, how good a job are U.S. nursing homes doing in preventing these infections?
HealthDay
