Use the table below for the antimicrobial treatment overview of CAUTI.

• FigureCAUTI - treatment overview

Uncomplicated CAUTI in females: 3 days

CAUTI with pyelonephritis in females: 5-7 days

Uncomplicated CAUTI in males: 7 days

CAUTI with pyrexia or urosepsis in males: 14 days

• Only treat patients with recognised signs or symptoms of CAUTI. Symptoms of CAUTI include fever, rigors, flank / costovertebral / suprapubic discomfort, change in voiding patterns, nausea, vomiting, malaise or altered mental status. 
• Do not use urinalysis to screen for or diagnose UTI in catheterised patients. Urinalysis of catheter urines is almost invariably "positive".
• Do not treat positive catheter urine cultures in the absence of symptoms. Treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria will not prevent symptomatic episodes, but conversely causes increased short-term frequency of infection and colonisation with antimicrobial-resistant organisms.
• Smelly urine is not a sign of CAUTI. 
• Consider prostatitis in catheterised men with perineal pain or a tender prostate.
• Send a CSU for culture and sensitivities before starting empirical antibiotics. Do not send urine samples for culture in asymptomatic catheterised patients. Specimens should not be obtained from the drainage bag. If the catheter is being replaced, send a urine sample from the new catheter following catheter change.