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Urinary Catheter-Associated Infections

A urinary catheter is a thin, flexible tube that is inserted through the urethra and into the bladder to drain urine from the body. A catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) occurs when bacteria enter the sterile bladder via the catheter.

  1. Function

    • A urinary catheter can introduce bacteria directly into the bladder when it's inserted. Bacteria can also multiply on either the inner or the outer surface of the catheter and then travel up into the bladder to cause a UTI.

    Effects

    • A CAUTI can cause urinary frequency, painful urination, foul-smelling urine, blood in the urine, fever, confusion, weakness and other bodywide symptoms.

    Considerations

    • You're at higher risk for developing a CAUTI if you are female, pregnant or malnourished. Diabetes and other chronic diseases also increase your risk of CAUTI.

    Significance

    • The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have identified CAUTIs as one of eight hospital-acquired conditions that they will not pay for. Knowing that they will have to absorb the added cost of treating this complication, hospital leaders are much more focused on preventing CAUTIs.

    Tip

    • Catheters that are coated with a colloidal silver alloy reduce your risk of CAUTI 30 to 55 percent.

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