Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI)

What is a CAUTI?

CAUTI or a catheter-associated urinary tract infection is an infection of the urinary system, including the bladder and kidneys.

How does a CAUTI happen?

Germs (such as bacteria or yeasts) do not normally live in these areas, but if introduced via a catheter, an infection may occur.

How do we prevent CAUTIs?

At UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, we prevent CAUTIs by taking precautions with both the insertion and maintenance of catheters:

Insertion

• We are careful to always wash hands thoroughly.
• The placement of catheter is done as a sterile procedure.
• We secure the tubing to the patient’s leg.
• The catheter system is kept closed, reducing contamination risk.

Maintenance

• We maintain a closed drainage system.
• We make sure to maintain an unobstructed urinary flow.
• We keep the fluid bag below the level of the bladder and off of the floor.
• We do not clean perianal area with antiseptics.
• We obtain all specimens via a closed access system after appropriate disinfection.

How often do catheter-associated urinary tract infections occur at Children’s Hospital?

On average, we see one urinary tract infection for every 1,700 days that patients have urinary catheters in our hospital.