Hospital-acquired urinary tract infection

Author(s):  
Roger Bayston

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) account for the majority of hospital-acquired infections (HAI), and most of these occur in catheterized patients. However, for most the presence of bacteria in the urine (bacteriuria) is asymptomatic, yet in many institutional and national surveillance studies it is still attributed as ‘infection’. Although guidance is that only symptomatic UTI should be treated, except in pregnancy, bacteriuria in catheterized patients is frequently overinvestigated and antibiotics overused. Most infections are caused by enteric bacteria such as Escherichia coli, but other bacteria such as Proteus mirabilis and staphylococci are more prominent in HAI. Aseptic technique for catheter insertion and during subsequent catheter care together with minimizing catheter duration are very important to prevent catheter-associated UTI (CAUTI). Prophylactic antibiotics should be avoided. National and international action to adopt evidence-based consensus protocols for management of catheterized patients and judicial use of antimicrobial chemotherapy promise to be of greatest benefit.

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-283
Author(s):  
Laura Reilly ◽  
Patty Sullivan ◽  
Sharon Ninni ◽  
Denise Fochesto ◽  
Karen Williams ◽  
...  

The prolonged use of indwelling urinary catheters can lead to many complications, the most prevalent being urinary tract infections. These hospital-acquired infections can increase hospital costs, length of stay, and mortality rates. Evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of urinary tract infections are compared and discussed. Minimizing indwelling urinary catheter use is well-recognized in the literature to reduce the risk of these infections. To decrease the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections, the staff of a 22-bed, mixed medical, surgical, and trauma intensive care unit focused on reducing the number of foley catheter device days. A multidisciplinary team was convened to create an evidence-based plan. Staff nurses were engaged in the development and implementation of the plan. Criteria-based foley catheter guidelines, a decision-making algorithm, and a daily checklist were implemented that led to a significant reduction in foley catheter device days and a decrease in catheter-associated urinary tract infections.


2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikel Gray

Changes in reimbursement policies have focused attention on the use of indwelling catheters in the critical care unit as well as their role in hospital-acquired urinary tract infections. Implementation of an evidence-based prevention program can significantly reduce both the prevalence of indwelling catheterization and the incidence of hospital-acquired catheter-associated urinary tract infection. This article describes the epidemiology and pathophysiology of catheter-associated urinary tract infection, and outlines essential elements of an evidence-based prevention program for the critical care unit.


2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-40
Author(s):  
Elzbieta Osuch ◽  
Andre Marais

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in childhood and represent approximately 10% of hospital-acquired infections. It is clinically challenging to distinguish cystitis (lower UTI) from pyelonephritis (upper UTI) in those younger than two years. Most UTI patients can however be safely managed as outpatients if diligent follow-up procedures are in place. Recurrent UTIs in children may indicate malfunction or an anatomical defect of the urinary tract, and require specialised diagnostic studies. The proper approach for a child with UTI remains controversial, and treatment often differs according to regional or institutional empirical guidelines.


2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine M. Mullin ◽  
Christopher S. Kovacs ◽  
Cynthia Fatica ◽  
Colette Einloth ◽  
Elizabeth A. Neuner ◽  
...  

BACKGROUNDCatheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are among the most common hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Reducing CAUTI rates has become a major focus of attention due to increasing public health concerns and reimbursement implications.OBJECTIVETo implement and describe a multifaceted intervention to decrease CAUTIs in our ICUs with an emphasis on indications for obtaining a urine culture.METHODSA project team composed of all critical care disciplines was assembled to address an institutional goal of decreasing CAUTIs. Interventions implemented between year 1 and year 2 included protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for placement, maintenance, and removal of catheters. Leaders from all critical care disciplines agreed to align routine culturing practice with American College of Critical Care Medicine (ACCCM) and Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) guidelines for evaluating a fever in a critically ill patient. Surveillance data for CAUTI and hospital-acquired bloodstream infection (HABSI) were recorded prospectively according to National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) protocols. Device utilization ratios (DURs), rates of CAUTI, HABSI, and urine cultures were calculated and compared.RESULTSThe CAUTI rate decreased from 3.0 per 1,000 catheter days in 2013 to 1.9 in 2014. The DUR was 0.7 in 2013 and 0.68 in 2014. The HABSI rates per 1,000 patient days decreased from 2.8 in 2013 to 2.4 in 2014.CONCLUSIONSEffectively reducing ICU CAUTI rates requires a multifaceted and collaborative approach; stewardship of culturing was a key and safe component of our successful reduction efforts.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:186–188


mSphere ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Palacios ◽  
Christopher A. Broberg ◽  
Kimberly A. Walker ◽  
Virginia L. Miller

ABSTRACT In addition to having a reputation as the causative agent of several types of hospital-acquired infections, Klebsiella pneumoniae has gained widespread attention as a pathogen with a propensity for acquiring antibiotic resistance. It is capable of causing a range of infections, including urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and sepsis. Because of the rapid emergence of carbapenem resistance among Klebsiella strains, there is a dire need for a better understanding of virulence mechanisms and identification of new drug targets. Here, we identify the periplasmic transporter FepB as one such potential target. Klebsiella pneumoniae is considered a significant public health threat because of the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains and the challenge associated with treating life-threatening infections. Capsule, siderophores, and adhesins have been implicated as virulence determinants of K. pneumoniae, yet we lack a clear understanding of how this pathogen causes disease. In a previous screen for virulence genes, we identified a potential new virulence locus and constructed a mutant (smr) with this locus deleted. In this study, we characterize the smr mutant and show that this mutation renders K. pneumoniae avirulent in a pneumonia model of infection. The smr mutant was expected to have a deletion of three genes, but subsequent genome sequencing indicated that a much larger deletion had occurred. Further analysis of the deleted region indicated that the virulence defect of the smr mutant could be attributed to the loss of FepB, a periplasmic protein required for import of the siderophore enterobactin. Interestingly, a ΔfepB mutant was more attenuated than a mutant unable to synthesize enterobactin, suggesting that additional processes are affected. As FepB is highly conserved among the members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, therapeutic targeting of FepB may be useful for the treatment of Klebsiella and other bacterial infections. IMPORTANCE In addition to having a reputation as the causative agent of several types of hospital-acquired infections, Klebsiella pneumoniae has gained widespread attention as a pathogen with a propensity for acquiring antibiotic resistance. It is capable of causing a range of infections, including urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and sepsis. Because of the rapid emergence of carbapenem resistance among Klebsiella strains, there is a dire need for a better understanding of virulence mechanisms and identification of new drug targets. Here, we identify the periplasmic transporter FepB as one such potential target.


Author(s):  
Lois Welden

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) continue to account for most hospital-acquired infections; yet records for up to 50% of hospitalized patients who received an indwelling catheter lack documentation of evidence-based criterion for the insertion decision. Newer guidelines emphasize prevention of infection by limiting both catheter use and duration of use so as to decrease the number of hospital-acquired, urinary tract infections (UTIs). In this article, we review the literature and describe the method employed in our quality improvement (QI) project using the electronic health record (EHR) to assist in driving evidence-based care. We developed an infrastructure that provided clinical-decision support, drove evidence-based care delivery practices, and maintained sustainability. Next, we present the results of this QI project that demonstrated a significant decrease in positive urine cultures, improved catheter care practices, and documentation of evidence-based criterion for catheter utilization. We discuss the benefits of using the EHR to decrease urinary catheter usage and conclude by recommending the using the EHR to decrease UTIs by limiting urinary catheter usage.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marissa Jeme Andersen ◽  
ChunKi Fong ◽  
Alyssa Ann La Bella ◽  
Alex Molesan ◽  
Matthew M. Champion ◽  
...  

SummaryMicrobial adhesion to medical devices is common for hospital-acquired infections, particularly for urinary catheters. If not properly treated these infections cause complications and exacerbate antimicrobial resistance. Catheter use elicits bladder inflammation, releasing host serum-proteins, including fibrinogen, into the bladder, which deposit on the urinary catheter. Enterococcus faecalis uses fibrinogen as a scaffold to bind and persist in the bladder despite antibiotic treatments. Inhibition of fibrinogen-pathogen interaction significantly reduces infection. Here, we show deposited fibrinogen is advantageous for uropathogens, suggesting that targeting catheter protein deposition may reduce colonization creating an effective intervention. Hostprotein deposition was reduced, using liquid-infused catheters, resulting in decreased colonization on catheters, in bladders, and dissemination in vivo. Furthermore, proteomics revealed a significant decrease in deposition of host-secreted proteins on liquid-infused catheter surfaces. Our findings suggest targeting microbial binding scaffolds may be an effective antibiotic-sparing intervention for use against catheter-associated urinary tract infections and other medical device infections.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-11
Author(s):  
Charles Etyang ◽  
Grace Nambozi ◽  
Laura Brennaman

Catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is the most common hospital-acquired infection worldwide. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with limited resources for health care have not allocated resources to adequately monitor or prevent CAUTIs. The infection is associated with several adverse clinical outcomes, including antibiotic resistance, septicemia, and prolonged hospital stays, that burden the already resource-constrained health systems in LMICs with increased morbidity, health care costs, and deaths. Owing to the lack of resource allocation, little is known about the prevalence of CAUTI in the government-owned and operated hospitals in LIMCs. The purpose of this research was to test a method of CAUTI prevalence surveillance suitable to the resource-constrained health system in a LMIC and to determine the prevalence of CAUTI among hospitalized patients at the study site. In an intermittent 4-week data collection plan, the sample of 68 catheterized adult participants was evaluated for the presence of CAUTI using the three-pronged screening criteria of American Urological Society. CAUTI prevalence in the sample was 17.6%. The high prevalence of CAUTI in this sample represents a substantial risk of consequences to hospitalized patients and to the resource-constrained health system in this LMIC. This first report of CAUTI surveillance using readily available and affordable tools provides evidence to health ministry policymakers of the need for and value of monitoring and prevention programs for hospital-acquired infections in LMICs. We recommend LMIC health policymakers to establish infection prevention teams in hospitals and provide resources to continue surveillance and prevention of CAUTI and other hospital-acquired infections.


mBio ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hailyn V. Nielsen ◽  
Pascale S. Guiton ◽  
Kimberly A. Kline ◽  
Gary C. Port ◽  
Jerome S. Pinkner ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Though the bacterial opportunist Enterococcus faecalis causes a myriad of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), including catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), little is known about the virulence mechanisms that it employs. However, the endocarditis- and biofilm-associated pilus (Ebp), a member of the sortase-assembled pilus family, was shown to play a role in a mouse model of E. faecalis ascending UTI. The Ebp pilus comprises the major EbpC shaft subunit and the EbpA and EbpB minor subunits. We investigated the biogenesis and function of Ebp pili in an experimental model of CAUTI using a panel of chromosomal pilin deletion mutants. A nonpiliated pilus knockout mutant (EbpABC− strain) was severely attenuated compared to its isogenic parent OG1RF in experimental CAUTI. In contrast, a nonpiliated ebpC deletion mutant (EbpC− strain) behaved similarly to OG1RF in vivo because it expressed EbpA and EbpB. Deletion of the minor pilin gene ebpA or ebpB perturbed pilus biogenesis and led to defects in experimental CAUTI. We discovered that the function of Ebp pili in vivo depended on a predicted metal ion-dependent adhesion site (MIDAS) motif in EbpA’s von Willebrand factor A domain, a common protein domain among the tip subunits of sortase-assembled pili. Thus, this study identified the Ebp pilus as a virulence factor in E. faecalis CAUTI and also defined the molecular basis of this function, critical knowledge for the rational development of targeted therapeutics. IMPORTANCE Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), one of the most common hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), present considerable treatment challenges for physicians. Inherently resistant to several classes of antibiotics and with a propensity to acquire vancomycin resistance, enterococci are particularly worrisome etiologic agents of CAUTI. A detailed understanding of the molecular basis of Enterococcus faecalis pathogenesis in CAUTI is necessary for the development of preventative and therapeutic strategies. Our results elucidated the importance of the E. faecalis Ebp pilus and its subunits for enterococcal virulence in a mouse model of CAUTI. We further showed that the metal ion-dependent adhesion site (MIDAS) motif in EbpA is necessary for Ebp function in vivo. As this motif occurs in other sortase-assembled pili, our results have implications for the molecular basis of virulence not only in E. faecalis CAUTI but also in additional infections caused by enterococci and other Gram-positive pathogens.


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