URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS (UTI) AND Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) 

[Date of last update: february 2021]

Urinary tract infections have long been considered to be the most common "health care associated infections" (HAI), and the vast majority occur after urinary catheter placement [1]. UTI accounts for 19% of HAIs, of which between 43 and 56% are associated with a urethral catheter [2].

It can be defined as CAUTIs - Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections - a urinary tract infection with positive culture found in patients with indwelling urethral catheters for at least 2 calendar days [3].  
According to the CDC Atlanta (2017) approximately 75% of hospital-diagnosed urinary tract infections are associated with urinary catheterization, and it is known that between 15 and 25% of hospitalized patients undergo catheterization while in hospital [4]. 

Bacteriuria develops in approximately 30% of catheterized patients after 2-10 days, 24% of these will develop symptoms of CAUTI. About 3.6% of people with CAUTI develop life-threatening secondary infections, such as bacteremia or sepsis, for which mortality rates range from 10% to 33% [2]. 

Catheter-related urinary tract infection it is associated with prolonged hospitalization, readmission and increased mortality, particularly in at-risk patients who are immunocompromised, elderly and diabetic [2].