Uso y complicaciones del cateterismo urinario en salas de cuidados moderados de un hospital universitario

Introducción: El cateterismo urinario es un procedimiento frecuente y en ocasiones es utilizado por fuera de las indicaciones aceptadas para el mismo. Esto aumenta el riesgo de complicaciones vinculadas a su uso, por lo que pueden ser prevenibles. El objetivo del estudio es conocer las características del uso de cateterismo urinario en pacientes ingresados en salas de cuidados moderados de un hospital universitario del tercer nivel de atención, determinar la frecuencia, duración e indicaciones más frecuentes, así como evaluar la presencia de complicaciones asociadas al mismo Metodología: Estudio de corte transversal, realizado en salas de cuidados moderados de un hospital terciario y universitario de Montevideo, Uruguay, el 21 de diciembre de 2022. Se incluyeron pacientes hospitalizados que presentaban o presentaron catéter vesical en la presente internación y se completó la recolección de variables mediante la revisión de la historia clínica. Resultados: De 155 pacientes ingresados en salas de cuidados moderados, a 26 (16,7%) les fue colocado un catéter urinario. La mediana de edad fue 61 años, 80% eran de sexo masculino. La mediana de internación fue de 22 días. En todos los pacientes se utilizó sonda vesical y el 54% fue colocado en el Departamento de Emergencia. En el 46% de los pacientes no se encontró indicación escrita de colocación en la historia clínica. En 50% de los casos no está especificado el motivo de indicación de sonda vesical, mientras que las indicaciones identificadas más frecuentes fueron el control de diuresis (27%) y la desobstrucción de vía urinaria baja (23%). La duración de cateterismo fue de una mediana de 13,5 días, mientras que el 27% de los pacientes la usaron más de 30 días. 35% de los pacientes presentaron complicaciones vinculadas a la sonda vesical, en su mayoría no infecciosas (27%) y 15% presentaron infección urinaria. Estos pacientes tuvieron una duración de cateterismo mayor a los que no presentaron complicaciones (23 vs 10 días, p=0,411). Conclusiones: El catéter vesical fue utilizado en un porcentaje no despreciable de pacientes ingresados en salas de cuidados moderados, de forma prolongada y frecuentemente sin indicación precisa, lo cual expone a un riesgo aumentado de complicaciones vinculadas.

Introduction: Urinary catheterization is a frequent procedure and is sometimes used outside of its accepted indications. This increases the risk of complications related to its use, so they may be preventable. The objective of this study is to know the characteristics of the use of urinary catheterization in patients admitted to moderate care wards of a tertiary care university hospital, to determine the frequency, duration and most frequent indications, as well as to evaluate the presence of associated complications. Methodology: Cross-sectional study, carried out in moderate care wards of a tertiary care and university hospital in Montevideo, Uruguay, on December 21, 2022. Hospitalized patients who present or presented a bladder catheter during the present hospitalization were included, and the collection of variables was completed by reviewing the medical history. Results: Of 155 patients admitted to moderate care wards, 26 (16.7%) had a urinary catheter placed. The median age was 61 years, 80% were male. The median hospitalization was 22 days. In all patients a bladder catheter was used and 54% were placed in the Emergency Department. In 46% of the patients, no written indication for placement was found in the clinical history. In 50% of cases, the reason for indicating the bladder catheter is not specified, while the most frequent indications identified were diuresis control (27%) and lower urinary tract obstruction (23%). The duration of catheterization was a median of 13.5 days, while 27% of the patients used it for more than 30 days. 35% of the patients presented complications related to the bladder catheter, mostly non-infectious (27%) and 15% presented urinary tract infection. These patients had a longer duration of catheterization than those without complications (23 vs 10 days, p=0,411). Conclusions: The bladder catheter was used in a non-negligible percentage of patients admitted to moderate care wards, for a long time and often without a precise indication, which exposes them to an increased risk of related complications.

Introdução: O cateterismo urinário é um procedimento frequente e às vezes é usado fora de suas indicações aceitas. Isso aumenta o risco de complicações relacionadas ao seu uso, portanto, podem ser evitáveis. O objetivo deste estudo é conhecer as características do uso do cateterismo urinário em pacientes internados em enfermarias de cuidados moderados de um hospital universitário terciário, determinar a frequência, duração e indicações mais frequentes, bem como avaliar a presença de complicações associadas ao mesmo. Metodologia: Estudo transversal, realizado em quartos de cuidados moderados de um hospital terciário e universitário em Montevidéu, Uruguai, em 21 de dezembro de 2022. Foram incluídos pacientes que apresentaram ou apresentaram sonda vesical durante a internação atual e a coleta de variáveis ​​foi concluída .revisando o histórico médico. Resultados: Dos 155 pacientes admitidos em enfermarias de cuidados moderados, 26 (16,7%) tiveram um cateter urinário colocado. A idade média foi de 61 anos, 80% eram do sexo masculino. A mediana de internação foi de 22 dias. Em todos os doentes foi utilizada sonda vesical e 54% foram internados no Serviço de Urgência. Em 46% dos pacientes, nenhuma indicação escrita para colocação foi encontrada na história clínica. Em 50% dos casos não é especificado o motivo da indicação da sonda vesical, enquanto as indicações mais frequentes identificadas foram controle da diurese (27%) e desobstrução do trato urinário inferior (23%). A duração do cateterismo foi em média de 13,5 dias, enquanto 27% dos pacientes o utilizaram por mais de 30 dias. 35% dos pacientes apresentaram complicações relacionadas ao cateter vesical, em sua maioria não infecciosas (27%) e 15% apresentaram infecção urinária. Esses pacientes tiveram uma duração mais longa de cateterismo do que aqueles sem complicações (23 vs 10 dias, p=0,411). Conclusões: A sonda vesical foi utilizada em percentual não desprezível de pacientes internados em quartos de cuidados moderados, por tempo prolongado e muitas vezes sem indicação precisa, o que os expõe a um risco aumentado de complicações associadas.

Medicated Foley Catheters Do Not Prevent Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Infections of the urinary tract are among some of the most common infections treated in clinical practice. Numerous risk factors play an intrinsic role in the development of such infections, namely: age, sexual intercourse, prolonged use of feminine hygiene products, instrumentation, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, obstructive uropathy such as prostatic enlargement or urethral strictures, compromised immunity, and constipation. A major cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in hospitalized patients is catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). This systematic review aims to identify the causative agents and risk factors and to determine whether nitrofurazone, silver alloy, or zinc oxide-impregnated or coated/medicated Foley catheters, or non-medicated (standard) Foley catheters, can reduce the incidence of CAUTIs. A systematic review was conducted on the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Trip medical database, and Google Scholar. A combination of keywords and Boolean operators was used ((((urinary tract infections) OR (urinary catheterization)) OR (prevention AND control)) ) AND (catheter-associated infections) for data extraction. All the randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) completed and available between January 1, 2005, and June 30, 2024, which focused on the prevention of CAUTIs, were screened thoroughly and were included in this systematic review. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2) tool was used for risk of bias assessment. The Robvis visualization tool (McGuinness, LA, Higgins, JPT. Risk-of-bias VISualization (robvis): An R package and Shiny web app for visualizing risk-of-bias assessments. Res Syn Meth. 2020; 1-7) was used for development of traffic light plots and weighted bar plots for risk of bias. The literature search conducted produced 41,909 articles. Among these 19,076 were noted as duplicates and were excluded in the initial analysis; 22,833 manuscripts were thus screened after deduplication. Abstracts, case studies, reports, editorials, viewpoints, cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, case-control studies, case series, and letters to the editor/correspondence manuscripts (n = 22,745) were additionally excluded. A total of 88 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. An in-depth evaluation and analysis further excluded 82 articles from the analysis quality assessment based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Six RCTs were finally assessed regarding the prevention of CAUTIs and were ultimately included in the systematic review. The primary causative agents involved in the CAUTIs were found to be mainly Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus faecalis. The risk factors noted for the development of these CAUTIs ranged from urethral trauma, overdistention of the bladder, prolonged catheterization, to improper handling of the urine bag. No significant advantage was noted between the use of medicated and non-medicated standard Foley catheters. The aseptic technique and indications followed for the catheterization play a vital role in the prevention of CAUTIs, and more cognizance thereof will aid in the reduction of the development of CAUTIs.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the catheter assessment, management and performance (CAMP) scale for nurses.

AIM: To develop and test the psychometric properties of a self-administered scale to assess the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour of nurses to support the self-management of patients living with indwelling urinary catheters. BACKGROUND: Nurses are pivotal in supporting patients with urinary catheter self-management to prevent potentially avoidable hospital presentations. However, no validated scale is available to assess nurses' attitudes and readiness for this task. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental design was used to collect survey data both at baseline and after the completion of the intervention. A total of 128 participants were recruited from the Western Sydney region (New South Wales, Australia), who were working in community healthcare settings. Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap™) database was used to manage the survey data collected for data analysis purposes. This study has been registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN126210 0 0683831) METHODS: Using a three-stage process of concept identification, item construction and pilot testing to develop the Catheter Assessment, Management and Performance (CAMP) scale, followed by factorial and discriminant validity and reliability testing. This 23-item CAMP scale is theoretically informed by the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour) model, recognised for its effectiveness in understanding and influencing behaviour change. The scale was distributed to nurses working in three community health care settings to assess their knowledge, attitude and behaviour regarding catheter management and performance. RESULTS: Four factors were identified using scree plot, accounting for 63.36 % of total explained variance, which reflected the four dimensions of the COM-B model. Cronbach's alpha of the overall CAMP scale (0.93) and subscales (0.92, 0.87, 0.85 and 0.86) indicate good internal consistencies. The CAMP scale was able to detect changes in nurses' self-reported behaviour change following educational intervention (85.53 versus 95.98, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The CAMP scale is valid and reliable scale, capable of assessing nurses' capability, opportunity and motivation to support patients, through delivery of catheter self-management education that can potentially prevent catheter-related complications and avoid hospital presentations. Future research could explore using CAMP scale among non-specialist nurses and in various clinical settings to enhance its effectiveness and generalisability.

Urinary Catheter-Associated Infections.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are common and costly hospital-acquired infections, yet they are largely preventable. The greatest modifiable risk factor for developing a CAUTI is duration of catheterization, including initial indwelling catheter placement when it may not otherwise be necessary. Alternatives to indwelling urinary catheters, including intermittent straight catheterization and the use of external catheters, should be considered in applicable patients. If an indwelling urinary catheter is required, aseptic insertion technique and maintenance should be performed. Through the use of collaborative, multidisciplinary intervention efforts, CAUTI rates can be successfully reduced.

Enhanced antifouling and anti-swarming properties poly (sulfobetaine methacrylate-co-2-hydroxy-3-phenoxypropyl acrylate) hydrogel coatings for urinary catheters.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) remains an unsolved challenge to date, particularly with the emergence and rapid spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacterial pathogens. Despite extensive research, a catheter coating that can offer intrinsic resistance to host protein deposition, bacterial biofilm formation, and swarming is still urgently required. Zwitterionic hydrogel coatings due to their superior lubricity and antifouling properties represent a promising candidate, but their weak mechanical stability in water and poor resistance to bacterial swarming migration limit their application in urinary catheters for infection control. In this research, we describe the fabrication of a multifunctional catheter coating by copolymerizing zwitterionic sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) polymers and a swarming inhibitor material, 2-hydroxy-3-phenoxypropyl acrylate (HPA). The introduction of polyHPA (PHPA) effectively impeded the uncontrolled swelling behavior of the zwitterionic PSBMA hydrogel, resulting in enhanced mechanical stability. Moreover, the copolymer coating retains the antifouling and anti-swarming properties of the homopolymers when challenged with fibrinogen, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis. The HPA content significantly correlated with its anti-adhesion activity against fibrinogen and biofilm, and the coating with an SBMA: HPA monomer feed molar ratio of 4:1 showed the best antifouling activity, reducing fibrinogen deposition by about 40 % and biofilm coverage by around fourfold compared to the uncoated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface. Furthermore, the copolymer coating also exhibited no cytotoxicity, suggesting it as a promising catheter coating for preventing CAUTI.

Innovating Indwelling Catheter Design to Counteract Urinary Tract Infection.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Bacteriuria is anticipated in long-term indwelling catheter (IDC) use, and urinary tract infections (UTIs) and related issues are common. Defence mechanisms against infection are undermined by the presence of a Foley catheter, and adjustments to design could influence UTI risk. METHODS: We reviewed the various aspects of IDCs and ureteric stent designs to discuss potential impact on UTI risk. KEY FINDINGS AND LIMITATIONS: Design adaptations have focussed on reducing the sump of undrained urine, potential urinary tract trauma, and bacterial adherence. Experimental and computational studies on ureteral stents found an interplay between urine flow, bacterial microcolony formation, and accumulation of encrusting particles. The most critical regions for biofilm and crystal accumulation are associated with low shear stress. The full drainage system is the functioning unit, not just the IDC in isolation. This means reliably keeping the drainage system closed and considering whether a valve is preferred to a collection bag. Other developments may include one-way valves, obstacles to "bacterial swimming", and ultrasound techniques. Preventing or clearing IDC blockage can exploit access via the lumen or retaining balloon. Progress in computational fluid dynamics, energy delivery, and soft robotics may increase future options. Clinical data on the effectiveness of IDC design features are lacking, which is partly due to reliance on proxy measures and the challenges of undertaking trials. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Design changes are legitimate lines of development, but are only indirect for UTI prevention. Modifications may be advantageous, but might potentially bring problems in other ways. Education of health care professionals can improve UTIs and should be prioritised. PATIENT SUMMARY: Catheters used to help bladder drainage can cause urinary infections, and improvements in design might reduce the risk. Several approaches are described in this review. However, proving that these approaches work is a challenge. Training professionals in the key aspects of catheter care is important.

Lethal septic pulmonary thromboembolism in a repatriated body - a rare complication of prolonged urinary catheterization.

A case of septic pulmonary thromboembolism arising from thrombophlebitis of the prostatic venous plexus associated with long-term urinary catheterisation in a 51-year-old man is reported. Despite a previous autopsy having been conducted in the country where he had been resident overseas, a re-examination showed histological evidence of mild patchy chronic prostatitis with a florid, focally purulent, thrombophlebitis of the periprostatic venous plexus with abscess formation and evidence of bacterial overgrowth. Corresponding microscopy of the lungs showed septic microthromboemboli within small pulmonary arteries with variable degrees of necrotising acute inflammation and thrombosis. Death was not due to 'acute pulmonary oedema' as had been originally certified but to septic thromboembolism. This case demonstrates the need to carefully evaluate the prostatic venous plexus at autopsy, and also the type of problems that may arise at the time of the re-examination of repatriated remains.

Assessment of a Protocol for Reducing Indwelling Urinary Catheter Usage: Reduced Infection Without Increased Acute Kidney Injury.

Introduction In 2019, a level one trauma center in St. Louis, Missouri launched a campaign to reduce the use of indwelling urinary catheters (IUC) in the trauma population. Our study assesses whether the campaign achieved the intended effect of reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) and whether this came at the cost of increased acute kidney injury (AKI). Methods We examined a cohort of patients from before and after the IUC reduction campaign. We compared days with IUC, UTI, CAUTI, and AKI, both recorded in the registry and based on a direct review of laboratory results. Significance testing is performed with the Student's t-test for continuous variables and Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. For multivariate analysis, multivariate linear regression is used for continuous outcomes, and multivariate logistic regression is used for binary categorical outcomes.  Results On average, the post-campaign cohort was older and more severely injured. There was a modest decrease in IUC usage following the campaign, which was significant when adjusted for common trauma covariates, B=-0.93; p=0.04. There were 10 (0.4%) cases of CAUTI in the pre-intervention group versus 0 post-intervention (p=0.002). Pyuria was significantly lower post-intervention: 118 (40.3%) versus 84 (29.3%), p=0.007. This remained significant on multivariate analysis: odds ratio (OR): 0.52, p=0.008. There were no significant differences in creatinine (Cr) absolute values or temporal trends over the course of admission between the cohorts. There was no increased AKI measured by kidney disease improving global outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Conclusion The IUC reduction protocol was associated with a significant decrease in CAUTI without a significant increase in AKI.

Materials-based incidence of urinary catheter associated urinary tract infections and the causative micro-organisms: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Both long (> 30 days) and short-term (≤ 30 days) catheterisation has been associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs) due to the invasive nature of device insertion through the urethra. Catheter associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs) are common (prevalence of ~ 8.5%) infections which can be treated with antibiotics; however, CAUTIs are both expensive to treat and contributes to the antibiotic usage crisis. As catheters are unlikely be replaced for the management of patients' urination, ways of reducing CAUTIs are sought out, using the catheter device itself. The aim of this review is to assess the incidence of CAUTI and the causative micro-organisms when different urinary catheter devices have been used by humans, as reported in published research articles. METHODS: A Systematic Literature Review was conducted in Ovid Medline, Web of Science and PubMed, to identify studies which investigated the incidence of UTI and the causative micro-organisms, in patients with different urinary catheter devices. The articles were selected based on a strict set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data regarding UTI incidence was extracted and calculated odds ratio were compared across studies and pooled when types of catheters were compared. CAUTI causative micro-organisms, if stated within the research pieces, were also gathered. RESULTS: A total of 890 articles were identified, but only 26 unique articles met the inclusion/exclusion criteria for this review. Amongst the large cohort there were catheters of materials silicone, latex and PVC and catheter modifications of silver nanoparticles and nitrofurantoin antibiotics. The meta-analysis did not provide a clear choice towards a single catheter against another although silver-based catheters, and silver alloy, appeared to statistically reduce the OR of developing CAUTIs. At genus level the three commonest bacteria identified across the cohort were E. coli, Enterococcus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. whilst considering only at the genus level, with E. coli, Klebsiella pneumonia and Enterococcus faecalis most common at the species-specific level. CONCLUSIONS: There does not appear to be a catheter type, which can significantly reduce the incidence of CAUTI's in patients requiring catheterisation. Ultimately, this warrants further research to identify and develop a catheter device material that will reduce the incidence for CAUTIs.

A bacteriocin-based coating strategy to prevent vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium biofilm formation on materials of interest for indwelling medical devices.

The ever-increasing use of exogenous materials as indwelling medical devices in modern medicine offers to pathogens new ways to gain access to human body and begin, in some cases, life threatening infections. Biofouling of such materials with bacteria or fungi is a major concern during surgeries, since this is often associated with biofilm formation and difficult to treat, recalcitrant infections. Intense research efforts have therefore developed several strategies to shield the medical devices' surface from colonization by pathogenic microorganisms. Here, we used dopamine as a coupling agent to coat four different materials of medical interest (plastic polyetheretherketone (PEEK), stainless steel, titanium and silicone catheter) with the bacteriocins, enterocin EJ97-short and the thiopeptide micrococcin P1. Water contact angle measurements and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to verify the effective coating of the materials. The effect of bacteriocins coated on these materials on the biofilm formation by a vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) strain was studied by biofilm-oriented antimicrobial test (BOAT) and electron scanning microscopy. The in vitro biocompatibility of bacteriocin-modified biomaterials was tested on cultured human cells. The results demonstrated that the binding of the bacteriocins to the implant surfaces is achieved, and the two bacteriocins in combination could inhibit biofilm formation by E. faecium on all four materials. The modified implant showed no cytotoxicity to the human cells tested. Therefore, surface modification with the two bacteriocins may offer a novel and effective way to prevent biofilm formation on a wide range of implant materials.

Antibiofilm activity of promethazine against ESBL-producing strains of Escherichia coli in urinary catheters.

The bacterium Escherichia coli is one of the main causes of urinary tract infections. The formation of bacterial biofilms, especially associated with the use of urinary catheters, contributes to the establishment of recurrent infections and the development of resistance to treatment. Strains of E. coli that produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) have a greater ability to form biofilms. In addition, there is a lack of drugs available in the market with antibiofilm activity. Promethazine (PMZ) is an antihistamine known to have antimicrobial activity against different pathogens, including in the form of biofilms, but there are still few studies of its activity against ESBL E. coli biofilms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of PMZ against ESBL E. coli biofilms, as well as to assess the application of this drug as a biofilm prevention agent in urinary catheters. To this end, the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of PMZ in ESBL E. coli strains were determined using the broth microdilution assay and tolerance level measurement. The activity of PMZ against the cell viability of the in vitro biofilm formation of ESBL E. coli was analyzed by the MTT colorimetric assay and its ability to prevent biofilm formation when impregnated in a urinary catheter was investigated by counting colony-forming units (CFU) and confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). PMZ showed bactericidal activity and significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the viability of the biofilm being formed by ESBL E. coli at concentrations of 256 and 512 µg/ml, as well as preventing the formation of biofilm on urinary catheters at concentrations starting at 512 µg/ml by reducing the number of CFUs, as also observed by SEM. Thus, PMZ is a promising candidate to prevent the formation of ESBL E. coli biofilms on abiotic surfaces.

Correlation Analysis between Urinary Catheter Indwelling Time and Nosocomial Urinary Tract Infection.

OBJECTIVES: Indwelling urinary catheter is closely associated with the occurrence of urinary tract infection (UTI). Herein, we further explored the correlation of urinary catheter indwelling time and UTI. METHODS: Retrospectively, the medical data of nosocomial patients (n = 681) were collected during two quarters of April 2023 to June 2023 (the second quarter, 23.4-23.6, n = 330) and July 2023 to September 2023 (the third quarter, 23.7-23.9, n = 351). The baseline data and incidence of catheter-related UTI were analysed. The total hospitalisation days and indwelling urinary catheter days of patients in five departments were assessed, namely, coronary care unit (CCU), respiratory intensive care unit (RICU), surgical intensive care unit (SICU), neurology intensive care unit (NICU) and cardiac surgical intensive care unit (CSICU) departments. The correlation between hospitalisation days/indwelling urinary catheter days and the occurrence of UTI was evaluated by Spearman correlation analysis. RESULTS: In the CCU, RICU, SICU, NICU and CSICU departments, the number of patients was 463, 83, 29, 91 and 15, respectively. During 23.4-23.6, the incidence of catheter-associated UTI (CAUTI) was 0, 2.85, 6.12, 0 and 12.99 per 1000 urinary catheter days in CCU, RICU, SICU, NICU and CSICU, respectively. During 23.7-23.9, the incidence of CAUTI was 2.98, 6.13, 8.66, 0 and 0 per 1000 urinary catheter days in CCU, RICU, SICU, NICU and CSICU, respectively. Notably, hospitalisation days/indwelling urinary catheter days were positively correlated with the occurrence of CAUTI in each quarter (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There was a positive correlation between urinary catheter indwelling time and the occurrence of UTI.

Effectiveness and safety of a simple catheter securement device aimed at preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infection in intensive care unit patients: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice guidelines for the prevention of catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) recommend urinary catheter securement in critical patients although there is scant research on its effectiveness. AIM: To analyse whether securement of an indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) reduces the risk of CAUTI and meatal pressure injury among intensive care unit (ICU) patients and assess medical adhesive-related skin injury (MARSI) associated with the securement device. STUDY DESIGN: Open randomized controlled trial involving patients admitted to two ICUs in Spain. In the intervention group (n = 169 patients), the IUC was secured to the thigh using an in-house device piloted as part of this trial. Controls (n = 181) received standard care, including non-securement of the IUC. Barrier film spray was applied to the securement site with the aim of preventing MARSI. The definitions of the main outcomes were: CAUTI was diagnosed according to the criteria of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, meatal pressure injury was categorized into four grades and MARSI was classified as either erythema or skin tears. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed. Log-rank and Cox regressions were used to compare risk over time to CAUTI and meatal pressure injury in the two groups. RESULTS: Data from 350 patients were analysed, 169 (48.29%) from IG and 181 (51.71%) from CG. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, IUC securement was an independent protective factor against both CAUTI (RR = 0.2, 95% CI [0.05, 0.67]) and meatal pressure injury (RR = 0.31, 95% CI [0.15, 0.58]). The incidence of MARSI was 7.1%. CONCLUSION: Effective IUC securement significantly reduces the risk of CAUTI and meatal pressure injury among ICU patients. The in-house device piloted in the present trial is simple for nurses to use, and the incidence of MARSI was low. These results underline the benefits of IUC securement. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) securement reduces the risk of urinary tract infection. IUC securement helps prevent meatal pressure injury. IUC securement with in-house devices is safe and effective.

Reduction in lower urinary tract mucosal microtrauma as an effect of reducing eyelet sizes of intermittent urinary catheters.

Intermittent catheterization (IC) utilizing conventional eyelets catheters (CECs) for bladder drainage has long been the standard of care. However, when the tissue of the lower urinary tract comes in close proximity to the eyelets, mucosal suction often occurs, resulting in microtrauma. This study investigates the impact of replacing conventional eyelets with a drainage zone featuring multiple micro-holes, distributing pressure over a larger area. Lower pressures limit the suction of surrounding tissue into these micro-holes, significantly reducing tissue microtrauma. Using an ex vivo model replicating the intra-abdominal pressure conditions of the bladder, the intra-catheter pressure was measured during drainage. When mucosal suction occurred, intra-catheter images were recorded. Subsequently affected tissue samples were investigated histologically. The negative pressure peaks caused by mucosal suction were found to be very high for the CECs, leading to exfoliation of the bladder urothelium and breakage of the urothelial barrier. However, a micro-hole zone catheter (MHZC) with a multi-eyelet drainage zone showed significantly lower pressure peaks, with over 4 times lower peak intensity, thus inducing far less extensive microtraumas. Limiting or even eliminating mucosal suction and resulting tissue microtrauma may contribute to safer catheterizations in vivo and increased patient comfort and compliance.

Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) with Small Beads for the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is the most frequent cause of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTSs) in elderly populations. Minimally invasive treatments of BPH are safe and effective and are gaining popularity among both professionals and patients. Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) has proven to be effective in Trans-Urethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) in terms of prostate volume reduction and LUTS relief. PAE entails the selective catheterization of the prostatic artery and later embolization of distal vessels with beads of various calibers. Universal consensus regarding the ideal particle size is yet to be defined. We retrospectively evaluated 24 consecutive patients (median age: 75 years; range: 59-86 years) treated with PAE at our institution from October 2015 to November 2022. Particles of different sizes were employed; 12 patients were treated with 40-120 µm particles, 5 with 100 µm, 5 with 100-300 µm and 2 with 250 µm. Technical success, defined as selective prostate artery catheterization and controlled release of embolizing beads, was achieved in all patients. Removal vs. retention of the urinary catheter at the first post-procedural urological visit was the main clinical objective. No major peri-procedural complications were recorded, with 56% of patients successfully removing the urinary catheter.

Use of indwelling urinary catheters in nursing home residents: results from a cross-sectional study in 21 German nursing homes.

BACKGROUND: Indwelling urinary catheters often lead to complications such as symptomatic urinary tract infections. In nursing home residents, catheter prevalence is high, but prevalence differences by sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, and health services use have rarely been investigated. The purpose of this work was to describe the use of indwelling urinary catheters in nursing home residents and to examine whether catheter use is associated with individual characteristics. METHODS: Cross-sectional data of the "Inappropriate Medication in patients with REnal insufficiency in Nursing homes" (IMREN) study conducted in 21 German nursing homes between October 2014 and April 2015 were analyzed. For all residents of the involved care units, nurses of the participating institutions completed an anonymous questionnaire including the Modified Rankin Scale to assess physical impairments. The proportion of nursing home residents with indwelling urinary catheter was determined. Associations between catheter use and individual characteristics were investigated via cluster-adjusted multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 852 residents (76.5% female; mean age 83.5 years), 13.4% had an indwelling urinary catheter. The adjusted odds ratios for catheter use for men vs. women was 2.86 (95% confidence interval 1.82-4.50). For residents with "moderate" disability vs. those with "no to slight" disability it was 3.27 (1.36-7.85), for individuals with "moderately severe" disability vs. the reference group it was 9.03 (3.40-23.97), and for those with "severe" disability vs. the reference group it was 26.73 (8.60-83.14). For residents who had been hospitalized within the last 12 months vs. those without a hospitalization it was 1.97 (1.01-3.87). For age, dementia, overweight/obesity, other indwelling devices, and long-term medications no significant associations were found. CONCLUSIONS: Male nursing home residents, residents with a higher degree of physical impairment, and those who had been hospitalized within the last 12 months were more likely to use an indwelling urinary catheter than their counterparts. Data on circumstances of and indications for catheters, catheter types, and duration of catheterization are needed to evaluate the appropriateness of catheter use in nursing home residents and the need for interventions.

Urinary catheter alleviation navigator protocol (UCANP): Update to the hospital-wide implementation at a single tertiary health care center.

BACKGROUND: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections are commonly reported health care-associated infections. It was demonstrated that the urinary catheter alleviation navigator protocol (UCANP) pilot resulted in a reduction of catheter utilization and catheter days. METHODS: Quality improvement initiative that was implemented at a single urban, tertiary health care center, focusing on early discontinuation of indwelling urinary catheters (IUCs) and avoidance of reinsertion. The protocol was expanded hospital-wide from September 2020 to April 2022. We compared IUC utilization, IUC standardized utilization ratio (SUR), and catheter-associated urinary tract infection standardized infection ratio in the preintervention period (March 2020 to August 2020) to the postintervention period (May 2022 to October 2022). RESULTS: Preimplementation, 2 patients with IUC removal were placed on UCANP. Postimplementation, 835 (45%) patients with IUC removal participated in the protocol. The number of patients requiring IUC reinsertion did not differ among the 2 groups. IUC utilization was significantly decreased from 0.28 to 0.24 with a 14% reduction (P = .025). SUR decreased by 11% from 0.778 to 0.693 (P = .007) and standardized infection ratio by 84% from 0.311 to 0.049 (P = .009). CONCLUSIONS: Our protocol significantly reduced IUC utilization and SUR after hospital-wide implementation. UCANP is a safe and effective strategy that can potentially decrease unnecessary IUCs in patients with transient urinary retention.

Clamp for Safety: Improving Intravesical Chemotherapy Practices.

Processes for intravesical chemotherapy after transurethral resection of nonmuscle invasive bladder tumors may lack standardization. In 2019, at a large health care system in Los Angeles, California, five incident reports involving chemotherapeutic agent spills from urinary catheters after bladder tumor procedures necessitated a quality improvement project. The project lead determined that a cost-effective alternative device for securing the chemotherapeutic agent in the bladder was needed at four surgical locations of the health care system. In addition, a review of the literature and an observational assessment revealed lack of adherence to standard and recommended processes for using personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling hazardous medications. After revising existing processes, acquiring a cost-effective clamp and recommended chemotherapy PPE, instructing personnel on the clamping process and use of PPE, and implementing use of the clamp, there have been no spills associated with intravesical chemotherapy across the four surgical locations.

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome: A Rare Phenomenon Managed in Primary Care.

Purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS) is a rare manifestation of urinary tract infection (UTI) characterized by bluish-purple discoloration of urine, typically seen in patients with long-term urinary catheters. It occurs due to the bacterial metabolism of dietary tryptophan into indole, which is converted into indoxyl sulfate in the liver and then excreted in the urine, where it reacts with catheter materials under alkaline conditions. Risk factors include chronic constipation, advanced age, female gender, dehydration, and recurrent UTIs. Morganella morganii is one of the bacteria commonly implicated. Although usually benign, PUBS can signal underlying UTIs, especially in asymptomatic patients. The case presented involves an 81-year-old woman with a history of urothelial carcinoma and a monoJ catheter since pelvic exenteration and ureterostomy. She presented with blue-colored urine in the collection bag; she was asymptomatic, but the urinalysis had leukocytes, nitrites and alkaline pH, and the uroculture was positive for M. morganii. Antibiotic therapy resolved the symptoms initially, but recurrence prompted further treatment and optimization of constipation management. PUBS, although rare, poses risks, especially in vulnerable populations. Identification of risk factors and causative agents is crucial for effective treatment, typically involving catheter replacement, antimicrobial therapy, and constipation correction. Prevention focuses on minimizing catheter use, regular replacement, and hygiene optimization. Early recognition and management in primary care settings can prevent complications and reduce patient and caregiver distress. In conclusion, PUBS is a visually evident condition that may serve as an early indication of UTI, particularly in patients with chronic catheterization. Treatment and prevention strategies should be tailored to individual risk factors to prevent the recurrence or persistence of the syndrome. Awareness among healthcare professionals and patients is essential for timely diagnosis and management. The presented case demonstrates the importance of primary care in managing complex conditions and highlights the close patient-physician relationship in such settings.