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Multiple Choice

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections typically involve a broader range of organisms compared to community-acquired UTIs. Which statement is true?

Catheter-associated UTIs are often polymicrobial because an indwelling catheter creates a surface for biofilm and disrupts normal urinary defenses, allowing a wider range of hospital-associated organisms to colonize the tract. This includes not just E. coli but also Enterococcus (a Gram-positive cocci) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a Gram-negative rod), along with other Gram-negative bacteria and even fungi in longer courses of catheterization. Because of this biofilm ecosystem, CAUTIs commonly involve a broader spectrum of organisms compared with community-acquired UTIs, where E. coli is typically the predominant pathogen. Viruses are not the usual culprits in catheter-associated UTIs.

Catheter-associated UTIs are often polymicrobial because an indwelling catheter creates a surface for biofilm and disrupts normal urinary defenses, allowing a wider range of hospital-associated organisms to colonize the tract. This includes not just E. coli but also Enterococcus (a Gram-positive cocci) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a Gram-negative rod), along with other Gram-negative bacteria and even fungi in longer courses of catheterization. Because of this biofilm ecosystem, CAUTIs commonly involve a broader spectrum of organisms compared with community-acquired UTIs, where E. coli is typically the predominant pathogen. Viruses are not the usual culprits in catheter-associated UTIs.