We studied 11 infected, asymptomatic elderly men who had experienced recurrent urinary tract infections classified as bacterial relapse. These men did not have ileal loop bladders, urethral catheters, suprapubic catheters, or condom drainage. We had to process more than 1,000 urines from men attending the urology clinic to identify the 11 study patients. A positive antibody-coated bacteria immu...

We evaluated the available literature on effectiveness of silver-coated versus uncoated catheters for the prevention of urinary tract infections in catheterized patients stratified by sex, systemic antibiotic use, renal function and duration of catheterization. Controlled clinical trials, randomized clinical trials and systematic reviews/meta-analysis were identified by a search strategy in Med...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of a multifaceted hospitalwide quality improvement program that featured an intervention to remind physicians to remove unnecessary urinary catheters. METHODS A hospitalwide preintervention-postintervention study was conducted over 2 years (July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2006). The intervention consisted of nurse-generated daily reminders that were used by a...

The indwelling urinary (Foley) catheter is a widely utilized device in the modern hospital environment in the United States. Under certain established medical conditions, these devices serve as a valuable tool in patient care. However, many indwelling urinary catheters are either placed inappropriately or are left in place longer than their intended use. This article describes a quality improve...

Catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is the most common nosocomial infection, accounting for more than 1 million patients annually in United States acutecare hospitals and extended-care facilities. Infected urinary catheters are covered by a thick biofilm that contain the infecting organisms. These organisms are embedded in a matrix of host proteins and microbial slime. This biof...

At the time indwelling urinary catheters were removed, the urethral flora was sampled by rolling the catheters onto culture plates. Cultures were obtained from 398 patients with sterile urine. Catheter surfaces were colonized less often in males than in females (16.8 and 67.0%, respectively) and yielded correspondingly fewer bacterial species per catheter. In both sexes, gram-positive species w...

Urinary Foley catheters are utilized for management of hospitalized patients and are associated with high rates of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Nitric oxide (NO) potently inhibits microbial biofilm formation, which is the primary cause of catheter associated UTIs (CAUTIs). Herein, commercial silicone Foley catheters are impregnated via a solvent swelling method with S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D-pen...

PURPOSE The aims of this study were 4-fold: (1) to examine the proportion of indwelling urinary catheters that were secured in an acute care setting; (2) to determine the proportion of secured catheters that were secured correctly; (3) to examine the association of catheter securement with type of unit, age, sex, and location of insertion; and (4) to determine the proportion of units with cathe...

Urinary retention is the inability to voluntarily void urine. This condition can be acute or chronic. Causes of urinary retention are numerous and can be classified as obstructive, infectious and inflammatory, pharmacologic, neurologic, or other. The most common cause of urinary retention is benign prostatic hyperplasia. Other common causes include prostatitis, cystitis, urethritis, and vulvova...

Colonization of urinary catheters by bacteria which produce urease leads to an increase in urine pH, followed by deposition of the minerals struvite and hydroxyapatite. Adhesion of these encrusting deposits can be reduced, but not prevented, by using catheters with a smooth surface finish. Chemical methods for preventing encrustation are not completely satisfactory. A better way of preventing e...