A urinary catheter is a tube in your bladder that removes urine from your body. This tube may stay in place for an extended period of time. If so, it is called an
indwelling catheter
. The urine drains from your bladder into a bag outside your body.
Understanding catheter care seniors uti prevention is important for seniors and their caregivers. when you have an indwelling urinary catheter, you are more likely to develop a urinary tract infection (UTI) in your bladder or kidneys.
What Are the Common Causes and Risk Factors?
Many types of bacteria or fungi can cause a catheter-related UTI. This type of UTI is harder to treat with common antibiotics.
Common reasons to have an indwelling catheter are:
-
Urine leakage (
incontinence
)
- Not being able to empty your bladder
- Surgery on your bladder, prostate, or vagina
During a hospital stay, you may have an indwelling catheter:
- Right after any type of surgery
- If you are unable to urinate
- If the amount of urine you produce needs to be monitored
- If you are very ill and cannot control your urine
What Are the Symptoms and Warning Signs?
Some of the common symptoms are:
-
Abnormal urine color
or cloudy urine
-
Blood in the urine
(
hematuria
)
- Foul or strong urine odor
- Frequent and strong urge to urinate
- Pressure, pain, or spasms in your mid- to lower back or the lower part of your belly
Other symptoms that may occur with a UTI:
- Chills
-
Fever
-
Flank pain
-
Mental changes or
confusion
(these may be the only signs of a UTI in an older person)
📖 What Are Exams and Tests?
What Are Exams and Tests?
Urine tests will check for infection:
-
Urinalysis
may show white blood cells (WBCs), red blood cells (RBCs), or bacteria.
-
Urine culture
can help determine the type of bacteria in the urine. This will help your health care provider decide on the best antibiotic to use.
Your provider may recommend:
-
Ultrasound of the abdomen
or
pelvis
-
CT exam of the abdomen
or pelvis
📖 How Is It Treated?
How Is It Treated?
People with an indwelling catheter will often have an abnormal urinalysis and culture from urine in the bag. But even if these tests are abnormal, you may not have a UTI. This fact makes it harder for your provider to choose whether to treat you.
If you also have symptoms of a UTI, your provider will likely treat you with antibiotics.
If you do not have symptoms, your provider will typically treat you with antibiotics only if:
- You are pregnant
- You are undergoing a procedure related to urinary tract
Most of the time, you can take antibiotics by mouth. It is very important to take all of the prescribed pills, even if you feel better before you finish them. If your infection is more severe, you may receive medicine into a vein. You may also receive medicine to lessen bladder spasms.
You will need more fluids to help flush bacteria out of your bladder. If you are treating yourself at home, this may mean drinking 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day. You should ask your provider how much fluid is safe for you. Avoid fluids that may irritate your bladder, such as alcohol, citrus juices, and drinks that contain caffeine.
After you have finished your treatment, you may have another urine test. This test will make sure the germs are gone.
Your catheter will need to be changed when you have a UTI. If you have many UTIs, your provider may remove the catheter. The provider may also:
- Ask you to insert a urine catheter intermittently so you don’t keep one in all the time
- Suggest other urine collection devices
- Suggest surgery so you do not need a catheter
- Use a special coated catheter that can reduce risk of infection
- Prescribe a low-dose antibiotic or other antibacterial for you to take every day
This can help prevent bacteria from growing in your catheter.
📖 What Is Outlook (Prognosis)?
What Is Outlook (Prognosis)?
UTIs related to catheters can be harder to treat than other UTIs. Having many infections over time may lead to kidney damage or kidney stones and bladder stones.
An untreated UTI may lead to kidney damage or more severe infections.
📖 When to Contact a Medical Professional?
When to Contact a Medical Professional?
Contact your provider if you have:
- Any symptoms of a UTI
- Back or flank pain
- Fever
-
Vomiting
📖 How Is It Prevented?
How Is It Prevented?
If you have an indwelling catheter,
you must do these things to help prevent infection
:
- Clean around the catheter opening every day.
- Clean the catheter with soap and water every day.
- Clean your rectal area thoroughly after every bowel movement.
- Keep your drainage bag lower than your bladder. This prevents the urine in the bag from going back into your bladder.
-
Empty the drainage bag
at least once every 8 hours, or whenever it is full.
- Have your indwelling catheter changed at least once a month.
- Wash your hands before and after you touch your urine.
UTI – catheter associated; Urinary tract infection – catheter associated; Nosocomial UTI; Health care-associated UTI; Catheter-associated bacteriuria; Hospital-acquired UTI
-
Bladder catheterization – female
-
Bladder catheterization – male
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) basics.
www.cdc.gov/uti/about/cauti-basics.html
. Updated June 27, 2025. Accessed April 24, 2026.
Drekonja D. Approach to the patient with urinary tract infection. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds.
Goldman-Cecil Medicine
. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 263.
Trautner BW, Kulkarni PA. Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) and catheter-associated asymptomatic bacteriuria (CA-ASB). In: Blaser MJ, Cohen JI, Holland SM, et al, eds.
Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases
. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2026:chap 308.
Wingate JT. Lower urinary tract catheterization. In: Dmochowski RR, Kavoussi LR, Peters CA, et al, eds.
Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology
. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2026:chap 15.
Updated by: Kelly L. Stratton, MD, FACS, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
