Guidelines
Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI)

Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI)

Clinical Considerations

Every effort should be made to remove urinary catheters

Elimination of unnecessary catheters is the best way to prevent CAUTI

  • Patients with urinary catheters develop bacteriuria at a rate of 3-7% per day
  • At 30 days, all urinary catheters are colonized with bacteria
  • High rates of bacterial colonization and non-specific signs of infection (such as cognitive or functional changes) make differentiating between asymptomatic bacteriuria and CAUTI challenging

More Information

  • Chenoweth CE, Gould CV, Saint S. Diagnosis, management and prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Infect Dis Clin N Am. 2014; 28; 105-119.
  • Flores-Mireles A, Hreha TN, Hunstad DA. Pathophysiology, treatment and prevention of catheter associated urinary tract infection. Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil. 2019;25(3):228-240
  • Hooton TM, Bradley SF, Cardenas DD et al. Diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of catheter- associated urinary tract infection in adults: 2009 International Clinical Practice Guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2010; 50: 625-663
  • Nicolle LE, Catheter associated urinary tract infections. Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control. 2014; 3:23.
  • Nicolle LE. Catheter related urinary tract infection: practical management in the elderly. Drugs Aging. 2014; 31: 1-10.
  • Trautner BW, Grigoryan L, Petersen NJ et al. Effectiveness of an antimicrobial stewardship approach for urinary catheter- associated asymptomatic bacteriuria. JAMA Intern Med. 2015; 175 (7):1120-1127.

Last reviewed: June 2021