Which sign is commonly associated with catheter-associated urinary tract infection in a patient with a catheter?

• A. Redness at catheter insertion site
• B. Low blood pressure
• C. Shortness of breath
• D. Fever with foul-smelling urine

Answer: (D)

Infections tied to urinary catheters typically reveal themselves through a systemic response plus a urinary finding. Fever with foul-smelling urine is the signal that points most directly to a catheter-associated urinary tract infection because fever shows the body’s response to infection, and foul-smelling urine suggests bacterial involvement in the urinary tract itself.

Redness at the catheter insertion site is more about a local skin infection at the entry point, not the urinary tract. Low blood pressure can occur if an infection becomes severe, but it isn’t a specific or reliable sign of a CAUTI on its own. Shortness of breath is nonspecific and not a typical indicator of a catheter-related urinary infection. So the combination of fever and foul-smelling urine most consistently indicates a CAUTI in a patient with a catheter.