catheter

A 72-year-old male with BPH and HTN presents from a subacute rehab facility for altered mental status and fever. He has had a Foley catheter in place for the past 10 days following hospitalization for hip fracture repair. Vital signs include BP 92/68, HR 110, T 103F rectally, RR 17, SpO2 98% on RA. Foley catheter is in place with cloudy urine in the Foley bag. Ultrasound demonstrated a non-distended bladder with Foley balloon in good position. UA from old Foley: >10 WBC per HPF. UA + Culture from new Foley: >10 WBC per HPF. What is the likely diagnosis?

The patient with a Foley catheter is common in the ED. Patients with these catheters can experience several complications, one of the most common being a catheter-associated UTI. This post evaluates this complication, with pearls, pitfalls, and some key components of evaluation and management.