Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common nosocomial infections in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. They almost always occur in the setting of a Foley catheter and the risk of developing a UTI increases with the length of time the Foley catheter is left in place. The risk of UTI is approximately 5% per day with a Foley catheter.

The diagnosis of a urinary tract infection is made based on urinalysis and urine culture. Findings on the urinalysis that are suggestive of a UTI include pyuria and bacteriuria. A urine culture with greater than 10⁵ bacteria per mL is consistent with a diagnosis of a UTI. The most common organism responsible for UTIs is Escherichia coli. Other common organisms include Proteus, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida. Antibiotic treatment for a UTI should be based on the sensitivities from culture results, and recommended duration of therapy is 7 to 14 days depending on the severity of the infection. Urosepsis, for example, should be aggressively treated with a 14-day course of antibiotics.