What it means
One of the most common infections caught in hospitals. Bacteria travel along the outside or inside of an indwelling urinary catheterin-DWEL-ing YUR-ih-nair-ee KATH-uh-terA tube passed through the urethra into the bladder and left in place to drain urine into a bag.Full entry into the bladder. The risk grows with every day the catheter stays in. Older adults may show only new confusion or fever rather than burning or urgency.
For the nurse
The best prevention is to avoid catheters that are not needed and remove them as soon as possible: ask daily whether it is still needed. Insert with sterile technique, keep the system closed, the bag below the bladder and off the floor, the tubing free of kinks, and give perineal care each day.
At a glance
| Abbreviations | CAUTI |
|---|---|
| Spanish | infección urinaria asociada a catéter |
| Also written | CAUTI, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, CAUTIs |
Related terms
urinary tract infection
An infection anywhere in the urinary tract: the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra.
indwelling urinary catheter
A tube passed through the urethra into the bladder and left in place to drain urine into a bag.
cystitis
Inflammation of the urinary bladder.
sterile
Free of all living microorganisms; also, unable to have children.