Catheter-associated urinary tract infection: why do not we control this adverse event?

To identify factors related to the occurrence of urinary tract infection associated with urinary catheter use.

A longitudinal, retrospective cohort study carried out by analyzing the electronic medical records of patients admitted to an intensive care unit of a high-complexity hospital from July 2016 to June 2017. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical analysis.

The incidence density of urinary tract infection related to urinary catheter use was 4.8 per 1000 catheters/day, the majority (80.6%) with no indication for catheter use, and there was no prescription for insertion and/or maintenance in 86.7%. The mean time between catheter insertion and infection diagnosis was 11.3 ± 6.3 days (6 to 28 days). Statistically significant factors (p < 0.001) related to urinary infection linked to catheter use were hospitalization time in the unit (16.7 ± 9 days), catheter permanence time (12.7 ± 6.9 days), and the use of antimicrobials in the intensive care unit (8.6 ± 6.3 days).

The association of indication absence and the record of the need for maintenance possibly potentiated the occurrence of urinary tract infection associated to catheter use.