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Urinefo

2020
Team Members:
  • Emily Chang
  • Clara Kochendoerfer
  • Rodrigo Lamas
  • Maya Lapinski
  • Silu Men
  • David Shi
  • Allen Wang
  • Justin Zhou
Advisors:
  • Stuart Ray, MD
  • Nicholas Durr, PhD
  • Disha Mankodi
  • James Fackler, MD
  • Kieren Marr, MD
  • Mason Chen

Abstract:

Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CA-UTI) is the most common hospital-acquired infection in the world, affecting over 500,000 individuals each year. The condition arises when bacteria are introduced into or fostered within the urinary tract via the insertion and retention of a urinary catheter. Catheterization is a common practice performed in patients with limited mobility or bladder control, such as those in intensive care, geriatrics, or nursing facilities. Unfortunately, this poses certain risks, increasing an individual’s risk of developing bacteriuria, or bacteria in the urine, by 3-10% each day. While some such cases are asymptomatic, the presence of this bacteria increases an individual’s risk of developing infection. This problem is exacerbated by the lack of objective clinical criteria for determining appropriate catheter duration: up to 47% of catheter days are unnecessary, due simply to oversight or convenience. This has resulted in over 300,000 cases of CA-UTI each year that would have been preventable with appropriate catheter use, duration, and care.

Urinefo’s mission is to prevent infections before they occur, while also ensuring utmost patient safety and reducing the burden to both hospitals and healthcare providers. Based on objective measures of urine bacteria count, our automated monitoring system empowers physicians to make informed decisions regarding catheter removal.

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