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...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the management of patients with long-term (>1 month) indwelling catheter by general practitioners (GP). PATIENTS AND METHODS A self-questionnaire was sent to 603 regional GP, between March and May 2010. It was composed of 12 multiple-choice questions and one open question, about management of their patients with indwelling catheter. RESULTS Two hundred and twenty-eight...

Results The questionnaire was answered 32 professionals. Participants: 28 women (87.5%). Predominant age group: 30 to 39 years 26 (81.25%). Experience of time in intensive care: 1 to 5 years: 21 (65.6%). Catheters average of 5 per week. Knowledge of the protocols on indwelling catheters: 27 (84.4%). Indications for catheterization and choosing the appropriate antiseptic for catheter insertion: ...

Candida biofilms on indwelling devices are an increasing problem in patients treated at intensive care units. The goal of this study was to examine the occurrence and frequency of these biofilms. A total of 172 catheters were collected from 105 male and 67 female patients (the age range of both patient groups was from 3 weeks to 98 years old). The catheters were incubated on blood agar plates a...

We read with interest the article published by Fysh et al 1 in CHEST (April 2012) describing a high incidence (10%) of fractured, indwelling, pleural catheters (IPCs) and would like to comment on the much lower incidence of this complication as it is reported in the literature and in our experience with IPCs. Our review of seven publications on the subject, including a systemic review by Van Me...

OBJECTIVES Staphylococcus aureus infections associated with indwelling devices can be very difficult to treat due to the recalcitrant nature of bacterial biofilms to conventional antibiotics. Lysostaphin has been shown to clear S. aureus biofilms in vitro, and in this study we determined whether lysostaphin could also eradicate established S. aureus biofilms on implanted jugular vein catheters ...