Revolutionize CAUTI Prevention with Spigot Guard
Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are a significant healthcare challenge, leading to longer hospital stays, increased costs, and serious patient risks. Research indicates up to 34% of all CAUTIs are due to bacteria entering through the unprotected drainage spigot of the urine collection bag.
Reducing costs.
Empowering nurses.
Protecting patients.
Best Practice. Made Better.™
An important clinical component of reducing CAUTIs consists of the proper care and maintenance of the foley catheter system.
Current clinical practice calls for an internal and external decontamination of the drainage spigot with an alcohol prep pad after emptying the bag. This ineffective, honor-system approach is rarely performed, increasing the risk of CAUTIs. Spigot Guard is a device that improves patient outcomes by improving the handling of the drain tube, promoting high-quality infection control and prevention.
Disinfects in 1 minute. Maintains protection as long as the cap remains in place.
Each Spigot Guard disinfecting cap contains 70% isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The IPA bathes the surfaces of the drain and disinfects it in 1 minute.
Protecting Patients, Empowering Nurses, Reducing Infections
Healthcare givers are frontline performers in the effort to reduce health-care related infections. Yet a post-Covid hospital culture has led to suboptimal adherence to infection control practices, including the protection and maintenance of the foley catheter system. Spigot Guard provides caregivers with a highly visual, contextual cue and convenient packaging design to promote easy adherence to best practice, resulting in reduced CAUTI rates.
Disinfects external and internal surfaces
Provides rapid disinfection of the drain surfaces, with a kill time after one minute of placement.
Creates a complete bacterial barrier
Serves as a single-use solution, ensuring full protection between drain access.
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Universal fit and versatile application
Compatible with most urine collection bags, suitable for use in acute care, long-term care, and home settings.
Provides visual compliance
Spigot Guard's bright orange color helps caregivers verify that a port is clean at a glance.
Spigot Guard is 99.99% effective in eliminating the six most common organisms associated with CAUTIs.*
The effectiveness of Spigot Guard antiseptic caps was tested in vitro against:*
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Proteus
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Klebsiella
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Escherichia coli
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Staphylococcus aureus
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Staphylococcus saprophyticus
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Study conclusion:
All test samples exceeded the minimum 4-log reduction after one minute.
ROI Calculator
Calculate your real-world CAUTI ROI with Spigot Guard
Spigot Guard is designed to protect the catheter lumen from intraluminal contamination. This model estimates the annual financial impact of reducing intraluminal CAUTIs in a 500-bed acute-care hospital, using current CAUTI benchmarks and published research on intraluminal infection.
Caps per Patient per Day
3
Spigot Guard Cost per Unit
$2
Cost per CAUTI
$12k
CAUTI Rate
(per 1,000 catheter-days)5
Catheter Rate
(% of occupied beds)20%
Occupancy Rate
85%
Total Licensed Beds
500
Annual Catheter-Days
31,025
Occupancy Rate
85
Occupied Beds
(855 occupancy)425
Annual Caps Used
93,075
Daily Caps Used
255
Intraluminal
CAUTIs Prevented
(34% × 100%)53
Current Total CAUTIs
(Annual)155
Device Investment
(Annual Caps × Cost)
$186,150
Device Investment
(Annual Caps × Cost)
$186,150
Gross Savings
(CAUTIs Prevented × Cost)
$632,910
Return on Investment (ROI)
240%
Spigot Guard is designed to protect the catheter lumen from intraluminal contamination. This model estimates the annual financial impact of reducing intraluminal CAUTIs in a 500-bed acute-care hospital, using current CAUTI benchmarks and published research on intraluminal infection.
Calculate your real-world CAUTI ROI with Spigot Guard
ROI Calculator
240%
Annual ROI
Caps per Patient per Day
3
Spigot Guard Cost per Unit
$2
Cost per CAUTI
$12,000
CAUTI Rate
(per 1,000 catheter-days)
5
Catheter Rate
(% of occupied beds)
20%
Occupancy Rate
85%
Total Licensed Beds
500
Hospital Parameters
Current Hospital Profile
Occupied Beds
(855 occupancy)
425
Daily Catheter Patients
(20% of occupants have a foley)
85
Annual Catheter-Days
31,025
Cap Usage
Daily Caps Used
255
Annual Caps Used
93,075
CAUTI Analysis
Current Total CAUTIs
(Annual)
155
Intraluminal CAUTIs Prevented
(34% × 100%)
53
Annual Financial Impact
240%
Return on Investment (ROI)
Gross Savings
(CAUTIs Prevented × Cost)
$632,910
Device Investment
(Annual Caps × Cost)
$186,150
Net Annual Savings
$446,760
Understanding the Intraluminal Route: What the Research Shows
Skeptics sometimes question whether intraluminal contamination—bacteria entering through the catheter drainage system and ascending to the bladder—represents a significant infection source. The peer-reviewed research confirms this pathway is real, and its prevalence varies based on catheter management practices.
Two Key Studies Tell the Story
The landmark Mayo Clinic study (Tambyah et al., 1999) followed 1,497 newly catheterized patients with daily paired cultures designed to distinguish infection pathways. Among cases where the route could be determined, 34% were intraluminal—originating from drainage system contamination.
A 2021 French ICU study (Aumeran et al.) found only 11.5% intraluminal infections. The difference? This ICU achieved a 3% disconnection rate versus 10% in the Mayo study. Strict closed-system adherence reduced intraluminal infections—but in typical hospital settings with less rigorous maintenance, rates approach or exceed the Mayo finding.
Why Duration Increases the Risk
The intraluminal threat compounds over time. Every catheter day brings additional manipulations: bag changes, patient transport, specimen collection, bag emptying. Each event creates contamination opportunities. Research confirms that CA-bacteriuria correlates with catheterization duration, and the intraluminal pathway becomes increasingly significant with extended use. Once bacteria enter the lumen, they form biofilm and migrate upward toward the bladder through retrograde ascension—a mechanism confirmed through molecular tracing studies.
The Bottom Line
Even with good closed-system practices, intraluminal contamination accounts for a meaningful percentage of CAUTIs. In real-world conditions, this pathway will cause one-third or more of infections. Protecting the catheter lumen addresses a documented infection route that existing protocols cannot fully eliminate.
We've included studies below so you can review the methodology and findings yourself. The science speaks clearly—intraluminal ascension is real, measurable, and preventable.
Does the drain really get dirty?
