PREVALENCE OF CATHETER-ASSOCIATED URINARY TRACT INFECTION AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH DIABETES IN CATHETERIZED ADULT SURGICAL PATIENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTI) rank among the most frequently encountered bacterial infections.. A catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is defined as the significant presence of bacteria in the urine of a patient with an indwelling urinary catheter. However, limited local data are available on the prevalence of CAUTI and its association with diabetes among surgical patients in Lahore. Objective: To determine the prevalence of CAUTI among catheterized adult surgical patients, assess its association with diabetes mellitus, and identify factors associated with the development of CAUTI. Methodology: This was a prospective, cross-sectional study conducted at Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore. Data were collected from November 2025 to February 2026 after Institutional Review Board approval. Adult surgical patients (≥18 years) catheterized with an indwelling Foley catheter for ≥48 hours, without any pre-existing UTI/CAUTI, concurrent infections, were included. Data were analyzed to identify independent predictors of CAUTI after adjusting for potential confounders. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 119 catheterized patients, the mean age of the patients was 59.14 ± 16.45 years, with a male predominance of 72 (60.5%) males. Diabetes mellitus was present in 59 (49.6%) patients. The prevalence of catheter-associated urinary tract infection was 27.7% (33/119). Diabetes mellitus showed a statistically significant association with CAUTI (χ² = 12.517, p < 0.001). Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that diabetes mellitus remained an independent predictor of CAUTI after adjustment for gender and duration of Foley catheterization (p = 0.001), whereas gender and duration of catheterization were not independently associated with CAUTI. Conclusion: Diabetes mellitus is an independent predictor of CAUTI among catheterized surgical patients.  These findings highlight the need for targeted preventive strategies and optimized catheter care, particularly in patients with diabetes.

Keywords: Diabetes Mellitus, Urinary Tract Infections,  Prospective Studies,  Catheters, Indwelling, Urinary Catheterization.