Health, Issues & Care

The most common type of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) is a urinary tract infection (UTI), and 80 percent of these are associated with the use of indwelling urinary catheters (IUCs). These are termed catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). It has been estimated that about 25 percent of all hospitalized patients have an IUC placed during their hospital stay. In addition to the morbidity and mortality that may be linked to the development of a CAUTI, there are also financial consequences. This is particularly true since as of October 1, 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stopped reimbursing hospitals for several types of infections acquired during a hospital stay, including CAUTIs. In United States (U.S.) hospitals and nursing homes, more than 1 million CAUTIs per year occur, and the estimated annual cost of treating these infections is $390 to $450 million (in 2007 dollars). It has been proposed that a large percentage of CAUTIs should be preventable. This article will discuss the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CAUTIs.