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Catheter-associated UTI - Overview

Alternative Names

UTI - catheter associated; Urinary tract infection - catheter associated; Nosocomial UTI; Health care associated UTI; Catheter-associated bacteriuria

Definition of Catheter-associated UTI:

Acatheter-associated urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that occurs in someone who has a tube (called a catheter) in place to drain urine from the body.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Having a catheter within the urinary tract your chances of an urinary tract infection. It may also make it harder to treat the infection.

If a urinary catheter is left in place for a long time, bacteria will grow in it. A harmful infection may occur if the number of bacteria becomes large or if specific harmful bacteria grow in the urinary tract.

Most catheter-associated UTIs are caused by bacteria. However, the fungus Candida may cause infections of the urinary tract.

  • Reviewed last on: 6/17/2010
  • David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and Scott Miller, MD, Urologist in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia.

References

Hooton TM. Nosocomial urinary tract infections. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2009:chap 304.

Moore KN, Fader M, Getliffe K. Long-term bladder management by intermittent catheterisation in adults and children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;4:CD006008.

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