Catheter Care and CAUTI Prevention

An indwelling urinary catheter is not a harmless convenience. It creates a direct route into the bladder, limits normal flushing of organisms during urination, and provides a surface where biofilm can develop. Each additional catheter-day increases the chance of bacteriuria and other complications. The safest catheter is the one that is never inserted; the next safest is removed as soon as its indication ends. Safe care therefore follows a sequence: verify the indication, use aseptic technique for insertion, preserve a closed unobstructed drainage system, review the need every day, and respond to changes without assuming that abnormal-looking urine equals infection. An LVN/LPN contributes by performing care within state and facility requirements, collecting focused observations, maintaining the system correctly, and escalating findings that suggest infection, obstruction, trauma, sepsis, or autonomic dysreflexia.