Study of incidence and risk factors of urinary tract infection in catheterized patients admitted at tertiary care hospital, Nizamabad, Telangana State, India

Background: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are the most common hospital acquired infections and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients with various life threatening complications. Hence, this study was aimed to determine the incidence, risk factors of CAUTI in a tertiary care hospital so as to find out better preventive measures to reduce the prevalence of CAUTI and their complications so as to reduce the hospital stay and mortality. Materials and methods: Present study included 200 adult patients who received indwelling urethral foley's catheter and urinary drainage system in various wards in Government General Hospital, Nizamabad from Jan 2015 - May 2016. Patients were diagnosed to have CAUTI according to CDC guidelines to study its incidence and associated risk factors which were analyzed using multi variate analysis. Results: Overall incidence of CAUTI was 59%. The incidence of CAUTI was maximum (70.58%) in the age group of 51-70 years. The incidence of CAUTI was more (69.44%) in females and was directly proportional to the duration of catheterization. The high incidence in the present study reflects the practice of frequent disconnections of urinary closed systems. Multi-variate analysis shows age, duration of catheterization, catheter- tubing disconnections, absence of antibiotic use and renal insufficiencies as important risk factors for CAUTI. 88.66% of CAUTIs were asymptomatic among 75 clinically evaluable CAUTIs. Conclusion: CAUTI is an important preventable hospital acquired infection seen in all age groups however incidence increases with age, common in both sexes, incidence can be reduced by minimizing the catheter procedures, taking the maximum aseptic precautions, reducing the duration of catheterization and avoiding frequent disconnections, this becomes more significant in patients with underlying renal disease , prophylactic antibiotics prevent CAUTI. As most of the CAUTI are asymptomatic, all catheterized patients should be screened for CAUTI and be treated depending upon antibiotic sensitivity of uropathogens.