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Catheter-associated UTI
Definition:
Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection such as a bladder infection that is associated with the use of catheters used to drain urine from the body. Alternative Names:
UTI - associated with a catheter; Urinary tract infection - associated with a catheter Text Continues Below
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 inevitably grow in it. A harmful infection may occur if the number of bacteria becomes large or if specific pathologic bacteria grow in the urinary tract.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).
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