Who we are
The EU CAUTIon brings together leading European organisations around joint activities to promote CAUTI prevention as as a policy priority at EU level.
to promote CAUTI and IAD prevention in acute care settings as a policy priority at EU level.
The Alliance: Uniting Expertise to End CAUTI & IAD in Europe
The Alliance provides a platform to aggregate knowledge and expertise of key stakeholders active in the field of CAUTI & IAD, and to advise and guide policymakers. The Alliance calls for greater focus on improving CAUTI & IAD and reducing the burden of CAUTI & IAD at European level.
The Alliance was officially launched last XXXXX during a high-level policy debate attended by representatives of the European Commission, Member States and the European Parliament. The policy debate discussed policy actions to improve cardiovascular health for citizens across the EU.
The Alliance partners cover all aspects of CAUTI & IAD: from the patients who suffer from the disease to the clinicians and health professionals who take care of them, from health insurers to research organisations, and industries that develop the medical and technological innovations to improve the management and care of CVD.
Partners are committed to joining forces and sharing expertise to:
Raise awareness of the preventability of CAUTIs & IADs.
Promote harmonised clinical guidelines in Europe , lead by the ECDC.
Advocate for improved patient education and consent regarding catheter use.
Serve as a platform for research, innovation, and joint policy recommendations.
Promote one dedicated EU-wide CAUTI & IAD Prevention Strategy, including improvement of surveillance systems in healthcare settings and embedding CAUTI & IAD Prevention in EU AMR Policy Frameworks.
Launch a European Hospital Benchmarking System on CAUTI & IAD in European Hospitals and promote one Pan-European CAUTI & IAD Reduction Incentive Scheme.
Mobilise investments for CAUTI & IAD prevention in Europe.
The Problem
Urine management represents a challenge for acute care settings. Incontinence is a frequent issue in acute care settings. It may affect:
- Patients already incontinent upon admission, especially older adults or those with chronic illnesses.
- Previously continent patients who develop incontinence due to:
-
- Prolonged immobility
- Sedation
- Surgery or acute illness
- Medication side effects
- Neurological impairment
This creates a clinical and operational need to manage urine effectively—balancing hygiene, skin integrity, infection control, and patient dignity.
The Problem
Approaches to urine management in Acute Care.
Indwelling catheterisation
Transurethral indwelling catheterisation or indwelling urinary catheterisation (IUCs) is defined as passage of a catheter into the urinary bladder via the urethra (urethral catheter). Transurethral indwelling catheterisation is also called urethral catheterisation.
Absorbent Pads / Diapers
When catheters are not clinically indicated, the fallback is often absorbent products, such as:
- Adult diapers or briefs
- Underpads («chux»)
The Solution
Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) are a silent epidemic in European hospitals.
They are one of the most common healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), representing a major public health challenge with severe clinical, economic and antimicrobial resistance consequences.
Key Facts
hospital-acquired UTIs every year in the EU.
Key Facts
%
of them are CAUTI-related (ECDC).
Key Facts
%
of complicated UTIs are due to indwelling catheters.
Our Call
Download our position paper
The Alliance provides a platform to aggregate knowledge and expertise of key stakeholders active in the field of CAUTI, and to advise and guide policymakers. The Alliance calls for greater focus on improving CAUTI and reducing the burden of CAUTI at European level.
Alliances
Partners are committed to joining forces and sharing expertise
