CAUTI

The best way to avoid CAUTI is to avoid use of a urinary catheter! Consider intermittent straight cath in patients with short-term needs for catheterization.

Avoid catheter use solely for convenience.

Remove catheter whenever possible.

The duration of treatment has not been well-studied for CAUTI.

Assess the degree of illness, comorbidities, and clinical response to determine duration of therapy.

As a general guide:

• If the catheter is removed and the patient is not severely ill and has good
  response to treatment: 5-7 days.

• If the catheter remains present or the patient is severely ill (e.g. urosepsis) or has pyelonephritis: 7-14 days.