Definition of Catheter-associated UTI:

Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection from using tubes (catheters) that drain urine from the body.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The presence of a catheter within the urinary tract increases the likelihood of urinary tract infection. It may also increase the difficulty of treating the infection.

If a urinary catheter is left in place for long periods of 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.