Catheter-Associated UTIs Reduced in U.S. ICUs

Urinary tract infections are the most common healthcare-associated infections in the U.S., with the use of indwelling urinary catheters as the major risk factor. Preventive measures introduced over the past 2 decades gained increased attention when, in 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stopped additional payment to hospitals for hospital-acquired catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs).

To gain perspective on the effectiveness of preventive efforts, researchers assessed the incidence of CAUTIs — symptomatic urinary tract infections (SUTIs) and asymptomatic bacteruria (ASB) — in adult intensive care units (ICUs) from 1990 through 2007. The data were reported to the CDC through the National Nosocomial Infection…