Hospital-acquired, catheter-associated urinary tract infections
(CAUTIs) are a common and costly health care concern. In excess of
500,000 CAUTIs occur annually in the United States, accounting for
more than 30% of health care-associated infections.1 Although not
as deadly as other health care-associated infections, CAUTI is the
single largest source of bacteremia in hospitalized patients,
commonly leading to unnecessary antimicrobial use, prolonged
hospitalizations, and increased health care costs.1,2 The indwelling
urinary catheter (IUC) is associated with the majority of these
infections.