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Should checking a urinalysis with reflex to culture be part of the standard work up for fever in an ICU patient with a urinary catheter?

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Do you routinely order a urinalysis with reflex to culture as part of a workup for fever in an ICU patient with a urinary catheter who is unable to provide a history?

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2 Answers
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Infectious Disease · Massachusetts General Hospital
Answered on · Updated on

Yes, as part of a broad workup for infectious and non-infectious causes of fever, and with many caveats.

Patients in the ICU are at high risk for diagnosis with CAUTI, yet as I think you are applying, this is a difficult diagnosis to make given the inability of many patients to give a history (or fo...

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Infectious Disease · Chilton Medical Center
Answered on

I think the entire issue of "UTI's" for hospitalized patients need clarity. Too often, we see pts admitted with a dx of "complicated UTI" when it appears that they only have a simple cystitis clinically and radiologically. I would hope the IDSA publishes updated guidelines soon for UTI's, including ...

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