Catheters are tubes used to drain urine from the bladder. These tubes can become infected, resulting in a catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI).
Our teams are highly trained to insert and maintain your child’s catheter. They use sterile techniques to insert the catheter, keep the catheter and its tubing secure and in place, prevent obstructions in urinary flow, and ensure the system remains closed. They will also remove the catheter as soon as it is no longer necessary. When a child has a CAUTI in our hospital, a team reviews the case to ensure we followed best practice and look for opportunities to improve the care that each child receives.
When a child has a CAUTI in the hospital, they can become very sick, and they have to stay longer in the hospital.
We measure infections per 1000 catheter days. Each day that a child has a urinary catheter counts as one catheter day. We compare ourselves to other children’s hospitals in Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS).
In 2023, our CAUTI rate was 2.191 per 1000 catheter days.
