Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections

Germs (usually bacteria) may enter the urinary tract and cause an infection through urinary catheter use. Such an infection is called a catheter-associated urinary tract infection, or CAUTI.

How are we working to prevent CAUTIs?

Beaufort Memorial Hospital works very hard to reduce the risk of our patients developing a CAUTI. One of the ways we do this is by reducing the number of catheters being used. We only use catheters if it is absolutely necessary and remove them as soon as possible. We make sure staff are washing their hands prior to and after taking care of the catheter. We use a securement device on the patient’s thigh to prevent the catheter from pulling, and we clean the area of the catheter entry daily.

The national benchmark for CAUTI is the standardized infection ratio of 1.0. This is based on the number of observed infections compared to the number of expected infections.