An Observational Study from Northern India to Evaluate Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infection in Medical Intensive Care Unit at a Tertiary Care Center.

Abstract

Healthcare-associated infections are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is a leading infection in ICU settings. This study aims to evaluate the patient and catheter-related factors contributing to the urinary tract infection as well as implementing the preventive measures ultimately curbing down the burden of healthcare-associated infections. This is a hospital-based observational study conducted in Department of Microbiology, from October 2020 to September 2021. A total of 150 patients admitted to Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) with the indwelling urinary catheter were included. Urine samples were collected with proper aseptic precautions and processed within 2 hours of collection. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the isolated pathogens was done as per CLSI guidelines 2019. In this study, the CAUTI rate was 9.4 per 1000 urinary catheter days, while the overall magnitude was 14.67%. It was predominantly reported in 51-70-years age group (34%), and females (63.63%) outnumbered males (36.36%), with Escherichia coli being the commonest pathogen. The highest incidence was reported in the 3rd week of catheterization with diabetes being a predominant risk factor (17.24%). This study provides baseline data on CAUTI rate, pathogens isolated, and risk factors at our institute. The overall goal is to identify, educate, and implement best-practice measures for prevention and curbing down the incidence rates of catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Parihar S, Sharma R, Kinimi SV, Choudhary S. An Observational Study from Northern India to Evaluate Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infection in Medical Intensive Care Unit at a Tertiary Care Center. Indian J Crit Care Med 2023;27(9):642-646.