Electronic surveillance for catheter-associated urinary tract infections at a university-affiliated children's hospital

Abstract

We sought to describe the characteristics of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) in a children's hospital while demonstrating efficacy of electronic identification of CAUTIs. There were 25 CAUTIs identified over 24 months, with most (88%) occurring in the intensive care units (ICUs). The incidence of ICU CAUTIs decreased during the study period (P = .04). Concordance between electronic identification and validation by infection control staff was 83% and increased to 100% with correction of nursing documentation.

Keywords: Catheter-associated urinary tract infection; electronic surveillance; hospital-associated infection; indwelling urinary catheter; pediatric.