Catheter associated urinary tract infection: antibiotic resistance and pathogen profile in a tertiary care hospital, South India

Background: Urinary catheters serve as a fertile milieu for a wide range of aerobic bacterial pathogens. The added caveat of antimicrobial resistance among these uropathogens accentuates the importance of routine region-specific catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) monitoring. Present study aimed to assess the incidence of CAUTI in a tertiary care hospital in Karnataka and identify the pathogen profile and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the uropathogens causing CAUTI. Methods: This retrospective study was carried out for a period of three months after taking ethical clearance. Patients on indwelling urinary catheter admitted in the hospital between October-December 2024 were included in the study. The uropathogen profile, positivity rate and demographic association with CAUTI was studied. Results: Present study documented CAUTI in 7 out of 583 catheterized urine samples (1.2%) in the 3-month study period. The total catheter days was 13,193 for a period of 3 months. The CAUTI rate was found to be 0.53 per 1000 catheter days. Hypertension along with uncontrolled diabetes was the most common associated comorbidity. The highest incidence of CAUTI was in the 61-70 age bracket. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common uropathogen associated with CAUTI. Conclusions: The CAUTI rate during the three-month study period (0.53) was well within the hospital benchmark of 1.03. CAUTI remains a lurking threat for patient safety and a constant challenge to the infection control team. CAUTI surveillance forms the cornerstone for implementation of care bundles and directing perpetual health care worker education.