Baton Rouge General Nationally Recognized for Infection Rate of Zero

Baton Rouge General is one of nine hospitals in Louisiana and one of 332 hospitals nation-wide to be nationally recognized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for having zero catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) in the U.S.

A catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is one of the most common infections a person can contract in the hospital and can increase the length of a patient’s stay by 2-4 days. Indwelling catheters, which are tubes inserted into the urethra, are the cause of this infection.

In order to lower CAUTI infection rates, Baton Rouge General implements standard best practices aimed to decrease the number of urinary catheters inserted and reduce the time they stay in place. Guidelines include:

• Appropriate catheter use
• Aseptic insertion
• Use of closed drainage systems
• Proper maintenance and timely removal of indwelling urinary catheters
• Established practices such as hand hygiene.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with over 600 licensed beds between three campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. An accredited teaching hospital since 1991, Baton Rouge General is affiliated with several medical school programs, and offers other medical education programs, including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter @BRGeneral and Instagram @batonrougegeneral.

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