Catheter-associated bacteriuria is the most common infection acquired in long-term care facilities. Complications include fever, acute pyelonephritis, bacteremia, catheter obstruction, urinary stones, chronic interstitial nephritis, renal failure, and death. The closed-catheter system has been the only innovation in this traditional method of care that has led to prevention of bacteriuria. Antimicrobial agents rarely are indicated to prevent or treat bacteriuria in long-term catheterized patients, except for those with symptomatic infection. Alternative devices are available and often may be preferable to the indwelling urethral catheter.

These patients and their reservoirs of bacteriuric organisms are sources of nosocomial outbreaks. Such outbreaks can be prevented and controlled with attention to catheter hygiene, prevention of patient-to-patient transmission on the hands of caregivers, and possibly use of antimicrobials to diminish bacterial concentrations in the urine.