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A catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is a descriptive term used in two distinctly different contexts: clinical and quality reporting.
Clinical
• Providers simply mean a UTI that is caused by a urinary catheter.
• Code assignment (T83.511A) depends upon provider documentation of a UTI, and that it was due to or associated with a urinary catheter.
• It is important to capture the correct POA (Present on Admission) status asa CAUTI that develops after admission may be considered a HAC (Hospital Acquired Condition) and could negatively impact DRG assignment.
Quality
• For quality reporting, a CAUTI pertains to the CDC case definition of a hospital acquired UTI that is abstracted by quality nurses using technical, objective criteria based on the CDC definition.
- Provider documentation of CAUTI in this instance has no impact. As a result, the coding of clinical CAUTI may be at variance with the abstracted CDC definition for quality purposes. CMS “Pay for Performance” programs use different criteria for determination of a CAUTI.
As a result, the coding of clinical CAUTI may be at variance with the abstracted CDC definition for quality purposes. CMS “Pay for Performance” programs use different criteria for determination of a CAUTI.
Download the complete tip, Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI).