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.Although notas 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.The indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) is associated with the majority of these infections.Catheter-associated bacteriuria is the result of the widespread practice of urinary catheterization.Despite this clear association,IUC use is ubiquitous. It is estimated that at least 25% of hospitalized