Management of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections in adults with short and long-term indwelling urinary catheters.

Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) account for around 16 percent of all Healthcare-Associated infections (HAIs) and the potential harm caused by this occurrence cannot be under-estimated. The risk of infection increases to eight percent for each day an indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) is left in place. CAUTI have a huge impact on the physical and psychological well-being of the patient alongside other complications such as, mechanical trauma, inflammation, urethral strictures, catheter blockage, renal impairment, bladder calculi, encrustations and antibiotic resistance especially in individuals in long-term care facilities. Although the general principles on the management and prevention of CAUTI have not changed, this condition is considered to be reasonably preventable and there is an abundance of published evidence-based prevention strategies and methods that can be applied to reduce the risk of infection. The Scholarship Report reviews the current literature and research evidence related to infection prevention and control of CAUTI in adults with short and long-term IUC and identifies the nursing interventions to minimize the risk of infection.