36118 Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI)

Course overview

Discussion of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) including key terms and diagnostic criteria, contributing factors, criteria for and inappropriate use of indwelling catheters, recommendations for reducing CAUTI risks, treatment guidelines, and reporting requirements. Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) is the most common type of healthcare-associated infection (HAI), and can lead to long term complications, increased healthcare costs, and increased mortality. Approximately 15-25% of hospitalized individuals will have a urinary catheter inserted at some point, leading to an increased risk of developing a CAUTI, and, once a urinary catheter is inserted, the risk for infection increases 3-7% each day that an indwelling catheter remains in place. CAUTI is the primary cause of secondary nosocomial bloodstream infections, with approximately 17% of hospital-acquired bacteremias coming from a urinary source, with an associated mortality rate of 10%. As part of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005, in October 2008, U.S. hospitals stopped receiving reimbursement for care related to conditions that could reasonably have been prevented through the application of evidence based guidelines, and one of The Joint Commission (TJC) 2018 National Patient Safety Goals regarding infection prevention is to implement proven guidelines to prevent CAUTI. This program discusses best practices in CAUTI identification, prevention and management to improve patient outcomes.