THURSDAY, Oct. 15, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Use of certain catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) prevention practices has improved over time, according to a study published online Oct. 6 in JAMA Network Open.
Sanjay Saint, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, and colleagues examined trends in reported CAUTI prevention practices in U.S. hospitals in a survey study using repeated cross-sectional national surveys conducted every four years from 2005 to 2025. A total of 1,461 unique hospitals participated in at least one study survey.
The researchers found an increase in regular use of urinary catheter reminders or stop orders from 9.1 percent in 2005 to 48.7 percent in 2025, while nurse-initiated discontinuation increased from 11.3 percent in 2009 to 58.3 percent in 2025, respectively, in nonfederal hospitals. Significant increases in these practices were also seen over time in Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals (11.1 to 31.5 percent and 14.1 to 37.8 percent, respectively), although use in 2025 was lower than in nonfederal hospitals. Silver alloy Foley catheter use declined markedly in nonfederal hospitals (from 32.4 percent in 2005 to 14.0 percent in 2025), but remained stable in VA facilities. A substantial increase was seen in external catheter use, especially in women, with 62.6 and 41.1 percent of nonfederal and VA hospitals, respectively, reporting regular use by 2025. In both settings, CAUTI surveillance systems had nearly universal use (98.1 and 98.7 percent in nonfederal and VA hospitals, respectively).
"The most effective strategies -- such as prompting clinicians to reassess whether a catheter is still needed and empowering nurses to remove it when appropriate -- should be embedded in everyday care," Saint said in a statement.
Two authors disclosed ties to the publishing industry and reported holding a patent for a catheter placement device.
