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Prevalence of healthcare-associated urinary tract infections in Catalonia
Alex Smithson1, Nerea Roch Villaverde2, Raúl López Salas3
1Infectious Diseases Unit, Fundació Hospital de l'Esperit Sant, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain.
Insights
Healthcare-associated urinary tract infections (HCA-UTIs) were common in hospitals and long-term care facilities. Most HCA-UTIs were not catheter-associated, but catheter use increased UTI risk, highlighting the need for surveillance and prevention.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Healthcare-associated urinary tract infections (HCA-UTIs) represent a significant burden in acute care hospitals (ACH) and long-term care facilities (LTCF).
- Understanding the prevalence of HCA-UTIs, including catheter-associated UTIs (CAUTIs) and non-CAUTIs, is crucial for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prevalence of HCA-UTIs in Catalonia.
- To assess time trends in HCA-UTI prevalence within different healthcare settings.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive observational study analyzed point prevalence survey data from 55 ACH and 97 LTCF between 2013 and 2022.
- Data included HCA-UTIs, differentiating between CAUTIs and non-CAUTIs.
- Spearman correlation was used to assess prevalence time trends.
Main Results:
- In ACH, the overall HCA-UTI prevalence was 1.6% (CAUTI 3.9%, non-CAUTI 1%), with no significant time trends. CAUTIs were more common in larger and specialty hospitals.
- In LTCF, the overall HCA-UTI prevalence was 3.6% (CAUTI 11%, non-CAUTI 2.8%), also showing no significant time trends.
- Non-CAUTIs constituted the majority of HCA-UTIs in both settings (53.2% in ACH, 71.4% in LTCF).
Conclusions:
- The majority of HCA-UTIs in both acute care and long-term care facilities were non-CAUTIs.
- Patients with urinary catheters exhibited a higher risk of developing HCA-UTIs.
- Robust HCA-UTI surveillance programs are vital for identifying at-risk populations and implementing effective preventive strategies.
Introduction:
Healthcare-associated urinary tract infections (HCA-UTIs) account for an important number of infections in acute care hospitals (ACH) and long-term care facilities (LTCF). Our objective was to evaluate the prevalence of HCA-UTIs in Catalonia.
Methods:
Descriptive observational study in which we analyzed the prevalence of HCA-UTIs, including catheter-associated UTIs (CAUTIs) and non-CAUTIs, from point prevalence surveys conducted in 55 ACH (44,734 patients) and 97 LTCF (116,882 residents) between 2013 and 2022 as part of the VINCat program. Prevalence time trends were also assessed by using a Spearman correlation.
Results:
In ACH, the overall prevalence of HCA-UTI was 1.6%. The prevalence of CAUTI was 3.9%, while the prevalence of non-CAUTI was 1%, with no significant changes over time. CAUTIs were more prevalent in large size and specialty hospitals. Among the 695 HCA-UTIs, 325 (46.8%) were CAUTIs and 370 (53.2%) non-CAUTIs. The overall prevalence of HCA-UTI in LTCF was 3.6%. The prevalence of CAUTI and non-CAUTI was 11% and 2.8%, respectively, with no significant changes over time. Among the 4190 HCA-UTIs, 1200 (28.6%) were CAUTIs and 2990 (71.4%) non-CAUTIs.
Conclusion:
Most HCA-UTIs, in ACH and LTCF, were non-CAUTIs although patients with a urinary catheter had a higher risk of HCA-UTIs. HCA-UTIs surveillance programs are essential for identifying at risk patients and developing preventive strategies.
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