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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
An In Vitro Bladder Model of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection
Published on: June 24, 2025
Catheter-associated urinary tract infection in primary and community health care
Kathryn Getliffe1, Teresa Newton
1School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, Hants SO17 1BJ, UK. k.a.getliffe@soton.ac.uk
Insights
Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is common in community settings, with limited data available. A retrospective survey found an 8.5% prevalence rate, highlighting the need for standardized data collection.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Urinary catheterisation is a common management strategy for bladder dysfunction in community settings.
- Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) poses a significant burden in acute care, but its prevalence in primary and community care is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine CAUTI reporting criteria and outcome measures.
- To identify data sources and quality for CAUTI recording.
- To determine a baseline prevalence of CAUTI in community settings.
Main Methods:
- A mapping exercise identified local, national, and international CAUTI data sources.
- A retrospective prevalence survey was conducted in three English Primary Care Trusts during October 2004.
Main Results:
- Data on community-acquired CAUTI were scarce, with variable reporting criteria.
- Studies often failed to differentiate between symptomatic and asymptomatic CAUTI.
- A prevalence rate of 8.5% was established through retrospective patient record review.
Conclusions:
- Inconsistent and poor-quality catheter-related data impede CAUTI risk and impact analysis in primary and community care.
- Standardized data collection is crucial for evaluating CAUTI risks and infection control initiatives.
- Developing a longitudinal database for long-term catheterized patients is essential.
Introduction:
Although often a last resort, urinary catheterisation is a relatively common management option for bladder dysfunction in older people and others cared for in community settings. Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is a well-recognised source of increased morbidity and economic burden in acute care services, but much less is known about the prevalence and impact of CAUTI in primary and community care.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to examine the criteria and outcome measures used in reporting CAUTI, to identify sources and quality of data recorded on CAUTI and to determine a base-line prevalence rate for CAUTI in community settings.
Methods:
(i) A mapping exercise to identify local, national and international sources of data on CAUTI and (ii) a retrospective prevalence survey of CAUTIs, recorded within three Primary Care Trusts in England during 1 month (October 2004).
Results:
Published or other recorded data on CAUTI in community settings were very limited. Criteria and outcome measures were variable and commonly failed to distinguish between symptomatic and asymptomatic CAUTI. A prevalence rate of 8.5% was determined by retrospective survey of patient records.
Conclusions:
Limitations in the quality and consistency of catheter-related information collected by healthcare services present a major obstacle to robust epidemiological analysis of risk and impact of CAUTI in primary and community care. Standardised routine data collection is essential to determine the magnitude of risk associated with CAUTI, to enable the development of a longitudinal database of long-term catheterised patients and to provide base-line data against which infection-control initiatives in primary and community care can be evaluated.
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