How do you assess for and manage possible CAUTI in a hospitalized patient?

• A. Monitor for fever, dysuria, urgency, or foul urine; obtain a urinalysis and culture if indicated; ensure catheter care and remove catheter when possible; treat infection per protocols
• B. Ignore symptoms
• C. Only treat if patient requests
• D. Never remove catheter

Answer: (A)

Assessing for CAUTI in a hospitalized patient centers on recognizing signs that infection may be developing and acting promptly with appropriate testing and catheter management. Look for symptoms such as fever, dysuria, urgency, or urine that is foul-smelling or cloudy, which raise suspicion for infection. If these signs are present, obtain a urinalysis and culture to confirm infection and guide treatment, rather than assuming infection is present without evidence. At the same time, maintain good catheter care to minimize disruption and biofilm formation, and remove the catheter as soon as it is safe to do so to reduce ongoing risk. If an infection is suspected or confirmed, treat according to the hospital’s protocols, using targeted antibiotics based on culture results and reassessing to stop therapy when appropriate. This approach emphasizes timely detection, appropriate testing, and minimizing catheter duration to prevent CAUTI, while avoiding unnecessary treatment when symptoms are absent.