U.S. primary care physician perceptions on barriers to providing guideline-driven care for UTI and recurrent UTI: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTI) affect almost two-thirds of all women during their lives and many experience recurrent infections. There are evidence-based guidelines from multiple international societies for evaluation and treatment; however, recent claims-based analyses have demonstrated that adherence to these guidelines is poor. This study seeks to understand the barriers experienced by U.S. primary care providers (PCPs) to providing guideline-based care for UTI and recurrent UTI (rUTI). METHODS: Semi-structured interviews of 18 PCPs, recruited from the greater Los Angeles area, examined real-world clinical management of UTI/rUTI episodes, decisions to refer to subspecialty care, and resources guiding counseling and management. Grounded theory methodology served to analyze interview transcripts and identify preliminary and major themes. RESULTS: Participants expressed the desire to obtain urine cultures for each cystitis episode, but felt pressured to make compromises by patient demands or barriers to care. PCPs had lower thresholds to empirical treatment if patients had a history of rUTIs, were elderly, or declined evaluation. Laboratory data was minimally utilized in clinical decision-making: urinalyses were infrequently considered when interpreting culture data. PCPs treated a broad set of urologic and non-urologic symptoms as UTI, even with negative cultures. PCPs did not feel comfortable initiating UTI prophylaxis, instead seeking specialist evaluation for anatomic causes. They were unaware of management guidelines, typically utilizing UpToDate® as their primary resource. Few evidence-based UTI prevention interventions were recommended by providers. CONCLUSIONS: Low availability of succinct and clear professional guidelines are substantial barriers to appropriate UTI/rUTI care. Poor useability of clinical guidance documents results in substantial confusion about the role of preventative measures and additional diagnostic testing. Difficulties in patient access to care providers lead to expectations for presumptive treatment. Future studies are needed to determine if improved educational materials for providers and/or management algorithms can improve guideline concordance of UTI management.

Analysis of com plication s af te r out-of-ho sp i ta l cardiac a rr est of tar ge t temperat ure management.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the preva lence of complications related to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients achieving target temperature management within 360 minutes compared to those taking more than 360 minutes. METHODS: The retrospective study was conducted at a medical centre in Taiwan, and comprised data from Januar y 1, 2014, to December 31, 2020. Data was retrieved using the International Classification of Diseases version 10 codes I46.2, I46.8 and I46.9 related to adult patients of either gender presenting to the Emergenc y Medicine department with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Data included gender, age, medical histor y, body mass index, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score, blood glucose levels, electrocardiogram results, and complications occurring within the target temperature management timeframe. Data was divided into group A having patients who achieved target temperature management within 360 minutes, and group B having patients with delayed TTM of more than 360 minutes. Data was analysed using SPSS 22. RESULTS: Of the 127 patients, 76(59%) were males, 51(41%) were females,, 47(37%) were aged >75 years, and 13(10.3%) were aged <50 years. Of the total, 65(51.2%) patients were in group A, and 62(48.8%) were in group B. Pneumonia, urinary tract infection, septic shock and gastrointestinal bleeding had lower incidence rates in group A than group B (p<0.05). The odds of death were 2.879 times high er in group B patients than group A (95% confidence interval: 1.908-8.916). CONCLUSIONS: Hypothermia tre atment should be sta rted as soon as pos sible to achieve target temp erature management within 360 minutes to reduce the risk of complications and mortality.

Association of health-related quality of life with urinary tract infection among kidney stone formers.

Kidney stones and infections significantly affect patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL); however, the relationship between urinary tract infections (UTIs) and HRQOL in patients with kidney stones remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship using the validated Chinese version of the Wisconsin Stone Quality of Life questionnaire (C-WISQOL). We prospectively recruited 307 patients with kidney stones to complete the C-WISQOL before and after stone removal. The participants were diagnosed with UTI based on the presence of pyuria or bacteriuria with or without clinical symptoms. The psychometric properties of the C-WISQOL were statistically analyzed. Multivariate linear regression was used to predict the risk factors for impaired HRQOL in patients with stones and UTIs. The questionnaire is a reliable and robust tool for evaluating HRQOL in Chinese-speaking patients with urolithiasis. The UTI and kidney stone co-occurrence was significantly associated with female sex, diabetes mellitus, more previous stone events, higher antibiotic usage, positive stone- or UTI-related symptoms, and postoperative residual stones. The preoperative C-WISQOL scores and improvement in the HRQOL after stone removal in patients clinically diagnosed with UTI were significantly inferior to those in patients without UTI. The regression analyses showed that worse HRQOL was predicted by more previous stone events and positive stone- or UTI-related symptoms. In contrast, the presence of diabetes mellitus and postoperative residual stone fragments predicted a lower improvement in the HRQOL. These findings underscore UTI's harmful impact on perioperative HRQOL in patients with kidney stones and could help strategies benefit those patients.

Genitourinary infection and gastroschisis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Gastroschisis is a congenital anomaly of the umbilical ring with increasing prevalence, especially amongst younger mothers. There is increasing evidence that exposure to genitourinary infections (GUTI) may play an important role in the etiology of gastroschisis. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify, appraise, and summarize the literature on exposure to GUTI and gastroschisis. METHODS: Six electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library electronic databases, and Prospero) were searched using a comprehensive search strategy. Citations and cited articles for all included studies were searched. Peer-reviewed, quantitative studies reporting an association of urinary tract infections (UTI) and/or sexually transmitted infections (STI) with gastroschisis were included. Prospero registration CRD42022377420. RESULTS: A total of 2392 papers were identified via the searches of which 15 met our inclusion criteria and were included after title and abstract and full text screening. The study period for included studies ranged from 1995 to 2016, most were from the USA. Four studies considering exposure to STIs and five to UTIs were eligible to progress to meta-analysis. Meta-analysis identified a significantly increased risk of gastroschisis in association with periconceptional exposure to UTI [OR 1.54 (95% CI 1.29, 1.8)], STI [OR 1.4 (95% CI 1.01, 1.79)]. CONCLUSIONS: Periconceptional exposure to GUTI is associated with an increased risk of gastroschisis. The prevention and timely treatment of GUTI amongst women of childbearing age may help to reduce the occurrence of gastroschisis.

Bacterial profiles, antibiotic susceptibility patterns, and associated factors of symptomatic urinary tract infections among symptomatic university students at Haramaya University, Eastern Ethiopia: Cross-sectional study.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a highly prevalent infection that can affect individuals of all ages, posing a significant risk to global health in terms of both morbidity and mortality. The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria adds to the complexity of this public health issue. There is limited data on the current study area. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the bacterial profiles, antibiotic susceptibility patterns, and associated factors of UTIs among symptomatic university students at Haramaya University, Eastern Ethiopia from May 10 to June 15, 2021. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 281 Haramaya University students. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Ten to 15 mL of midstream urine samples were collected aseptically from patients. Standard microbiological techniques were used for bacterial identifications and drug susceptibility testing. The association between dependent and independent variables was determined by the logistics regression model. Variables with a P-value of <.05 were considered statistically significant. The overall prevalence of UTI among university students was 18.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 13.5-23.1). The most frequently isolated bacteria were Escherichia coli (33.3%) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (29.4%). Gram-negative bacteria demonstrated high resistance against ceftazidime (100%), penicillin (96%), ampicillin (92%), and tetracycline (71%). Similarly, gram-positive bacteria exhibited significant resistance to ceftazidime (100%) and ampicillin (81%). Multidrug-resistant isolates constituted an overall prevalence of 35 (68.6%) (95% CI: 63.6-73.6). Furthermore, year of study (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] = 2.66; 95% CI: 1.23-5.76), history of UTI (AOR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.10-6.00), and sexual activity (AOR = 0.08; 95% CI: 0.02-0.39) were identified as factors. In this study, university students exhibited a higher prevalence of UTI compared to previous studies conducted in Africa. The most commonly identified bacteria causing UTIs were E coli, followed by S epidermidis. Factors such as the year of the study, presence of flank pain, history of previous UTIs, and frequency of sexual activity were found to be associated with UTIs. All the isolates have acquired resistance to the majority of commonly prescribed antibiotics. It is crucial to regularly monitor UTIs and the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among university students.

High-throughput combination assay for studying biofilm formation of uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli, the most common cause for urinary tract infections, forms biofilm enhancing its antibiotic resistance. To assess the effects of compounds on biofilm formation of uropathogenic Escherichia coli UMN026 strain, a high-throughput combination assay using resazurin followed by crystal violet staining was optimized for 384-well microplate. Optimized assay parameters included, for example, resazurin and crystal violet concentrations, and incubation time for readouts. For the assay validation, quality parameters Z' factor, coefficient of variation, signal-to-noise, and signal-to-background were calculated. Microplate uniformity, signal variability, edge well effects, and fold shift were also assessed. Finally, a screening with known antibacterial compounds was conducted to evaluate the assay performance. The best conditions found were achieved by using 12 µg/mL resazurin for 150 min and 0.023% crystal violet. This assay was able to detect compounds displaying antibiofilm activity against UMN026 strain at sub-inhibitory concentrations, in terms of metabolic activity and/or biomass.

Bundle care approach to reduce device associated infections in post-living-donor-liver transplantation in a tertiary care hospital, Egypt.

BACKGROUND: Device-associated infections (DAIs) are a significant cause of morbidity following living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We aimed to assess the impact of bundled care on reducing rates of device-associated infections. METHODS: We performed a before-and-after comparative study at a liver transplantation facility over a three-year period, spanning from January 2016 to December 2018. The study included a total of 57 patients who underwent LDLT. We investigated the implementation of a care bundle, which consists of multiple evidence-based procedures that are consistently performed as a unified unit. We divided our study into three phases and implemented a bundled care approach in the second phase. Rates of pneumonia related to ventilators [VAP], bloodstream infections associated with central line [CLABSI], and urinary tract infections associated with catheters [CAUTI] were assessed throughout the study period. Bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed using the automated Vitek-2 system. The comparison between different phases was assessed using the chi-square test or the Fisher exact test for qualitative values and the Kruskal-Wallis H test for quantitative values with non-normal distribution. RESULTS: In the baseline phase, the VAP rates were 73.5, the CAUTI rates were 47.2, and the CLABSI rates were 7.4 per one thousand device days (PDD). During the bundle care phase, the rates decreased to 33.3, 18.18, and 4.78. In the follow-up phase, the rates further decreased to 35.7%, 16.8%, and 2.7% PDD. The prevalence of Klebsiella pneumonia (37.5%) and Methicillin resistance Staph aureus (37.5%) in VAP were noted. The primary causative agent of CAUTI was Candida albicans, accounting for 33.3% of cases, whereas Coagulase-negative Staph was the predominant organism responsible for CLABSI, with a prevalence of 40%. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of utilizing the care bundle approach to reduce DAI in LDLT, especially in low socioeconomic countries with limited resources. By implementing a comprehensive set of evidence-based interventions, healthcare systems can effectively reduce the burden of DAI, enhance infection prevention strategies and improve patient outcomes in resource-constrained settings.

Insulin receptor orchestrates kidney antibacterial defenses.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) commonly afflicts people with diabetes. This augmented infection risk is partly due to deregulated insulin receptor (IR) signaling in the kidney collecting duct. The collecting duct is composed of intercalated cells (ICs) and principal cells (PCs). Evidence suggests that ICs contribute to UTI defenses. Here, we interrogate how IR deletion in ICs impacts antibacterial defenses against uropathogenic Escherichia coli. We also explore how IR deletion affects immune responses in neighboring PCs with intact IR expression. To accomplish this objective, we profile the transcriptomes of IC and PC populations enriched from kidneys of wild-type and IC-specific IR knock-out mice that have increased UTI susceptibility. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrates that IR deletion suppresses IC-integrated stress responses and innate immune defenses. To define how IR shapes these immune defenses, we employ murine and human kidney cultures. When challenged with bacteria, murine ICs and human kidney cells with deregulated IR signaling cannot engage central components of the integrated stress response-including activating transcriptional factor 4 (ATF4). Silencing ATF4 impairs NFkB activation and promotes infection. In turn, NFkB silencing augments infection and suppresses antimicrobial peptide expression. In diabetic mice and people with diabetes, collecting duct cells show reduced IR expression, impaired integrated stress response engagement, and compromised immunity. Collectively, these translational data illustrate how IR orchestrates collecting duct antibacterial responses and the communication between ICs and PCs.

Epidemiology of Citrobacter spp. infections among hospitalized patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Infections due to Citrobacter species are increasingly observed in hospitalized patients and are often multidrug-resistant. Yet, the magnitude and burden of Citrobacter spp. resistance in the hospital setting have not been reported. We aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of Citrobacter spp. infections among hospitalized patients, their main resistance patterns and Citrobacter spp. involvement in hospital outbreaks. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literature (PROSPERO registration Jan-2023, CRD42023390084). We searched Embase, Medline and grey literature for studies on hospitalized patients diagnosed with Citrobacter spp. infections, and nosocomial outbreaks due to Citrobacter spp. published during the years 2000-2022. We included observational, interventional, surveillance studies and outbreak reports. Outcomes of interest were the frequency of Citrobacter spp. infections among hospitalized patients and 3rd generation cephalosporin and/or carbapenem resistance percentages in these infections. We used random-effects models to generate pooled outcome estimates and evaluated risk of bias and quality of reporting of outbreaks. RESULTS: We screened 1609 deduplicated publications, assessed 148 full-texts, and included 41 studies (15 observational, 13 surveillance and 13 outbreak studies). Citrobacter spp. urinary tract- and bloodstream infections were most frequently reported, with Citrobacter freundii being the main causative species. Hospital-acquired infection occurred in 85% (838/990) of hospitalized patients with Citrobacter infection. After 2010, an increasing number of patients with Citrobacter spp. infections was reported in observational studies. Pooled frequency estimates for Citrobacter spp. infections could not be generated due to lack of data. The pooled prevalence of ESBL and carbapenemase producers among Citrobacter isolates were 22% (95%CI 4-50%, 7 studies) and 18% (95%CI 0-63%, 4 studies), respectively. An increased frequency of reported Citrobacter outbreaks was observed after 2016, with an infection/colonization ratio of 1:3 and a case-fatality ratio of 7% (6/89 patients). Common outbreak sources were sinks, toilets, contaminated food and injection material. Implemented preventive measures included environmental cleaning, isolation of positive patients and reinforcement of hand hygiene. Only seven out of 13 outbreaks (54%) were definitively controlled. CONCLUSION: This review highlights the clinical importance of endemic and epidemic Citrobacter spp. in healthcare settings. As an emerging, multidrug­resistant nosocomial pathogen it requires heightened awareness and further dedicated surveillance efforts.

Supplementation with Highly Standardized Cranberry Extract Phytosome Achieved the Modulation of Urinary Tract Infection Episodes in Diabetic Postmenopausal Women Taking SGLT-2 Inhibitors: A RCT Study.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common bacterial infections in postmenopausal women, and women with diabetes are possibly at a higher risk. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential benefit on the prevention of UTI episodes, assessed by urinalysis and urine culture (primary outcome) after two, four and six months, of daily oral dietary supplement (120 mg highly standardized cranberry extract phytosome), compared to placebo, in diabetic postmenopausal women taking SGLT-2 inhibitors. Forty-six subjects (mean age 72.45 ± 1.76) completed the study (23 placebo/23 supplement). Considering UTI episodes, during the six-month supplementation period, an increase of 1.321 (95% CI: -0.322; 2.9650) was observed in the placebo group, while it remained at a steady value of 0.393 (95% CI: -4.230; 5.016) in the supplemented group. Regarding UTI episodes, in both groups, interaction between times for supplementation was statistically significant (p = 0.001). In particular, at follow-up 4, 9% of the placebo group showed infection versus only 3% with cranberry supplementation. Glycaemia and glycated hemoglobin values (secondary outcomes) were not modified at the end of six months with respect to the basal values in both groups, as expected. While in terms of quality of life per the SF-12 health questionnaire, there were no differences between the two groups, an improvement in SF-12 quality of life was observed in both groups (six months vs. basal). In conclusion, highly standardized cranberry extract phytosome supplementation reduced UTI recurrence.

Effect of early removal of urinary catheter on recovery after vaginal surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Prolonged retention of urinary catheters (UC) after vaginal surgery is a common practice aimed at preventing postoperative urinary retention and enhancing the success rate of surgery. However, this approach also increases the chance of urinary tract infection (UTI), prolongs hospital stay (LOS), and delays recovery. Balancing these considerations, we investigated the effect of the timing of UC removal. We conducted a comprehensive literature search using four databases to identify all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving patients who underwent transvaginal surgery and had UC removal within 7 days postsurgery. This systematic review was conducted by two reviewers independently following the PRISMA guideline. This study investigated the timing of catheter removal in relation to the incidence of urinary retention, UTI, and LOS. A total of 8 RCT studies, involving 952 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Six studies revealed no significant difference in the urinary retention rate between early catheter removal group (24 h) and delayed removal group (>48 h, P = 0.21), but exhibited a significantly reduced UTI rate (P < 0.001) in 4 studies. In 2 studies, no significant difference in urinary retention rate between the earlier removal (3 h) and removal at 24 h (P = 0.09), and also UTI rate (P = 0.57). Overall, 5 studies revealed that early catheter removal significantly shortened the LOS by an average of 1-3 days (P ≤ 0.001). Early removal of UC can considerably reduce the rate of UTI and shorten the LOS. Moreover, it has potential benefits in terms of improving the quality of patient care and reducing medical costs.

Nurse-Sensitive Indicators as Predictors of Trauma Patient Discharge Disposition.

BACKGROUND: About 3.5 million trauma patients are hospitalized every year, but 35%-40% require further care after discharge. Nurses' ability to affect discharge disposition by minimizing the occurrence of nurse-sensitive indicators (catheter-associated urinary tract infection [CAUTI], central line-associated bloodstream infection [CLABSI], and hospital-acquired pressure injury [HAPI]) is unknown. These indicators may serve as surrogate measures of quality nursing care. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether nursing care, as represented by three nurse-sensitive indicators (CAUTI, CLABSI, and HAPI), predicts discharge disposition in trauma patients. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of the 2021 National Trauma Data Bank. We performed logistic regression analyses to determine the predictive effects of CAUTI, CLABSI, and HAPI on discharge disposition, controlling for participant characteristics. RESULTS: A total of n = 29,642 patients were included, of which n = 21,469 (72%) were male, n = 16,404 (64%) were White, with a mean (SD) age of 44 (14.5) and mean (SD) Injury Severity Score of 23.2 (12.5). We created four models to test nurse-sensitive indicators, both individually and compositely, as predictors. While CAUTI and HAPI increased the odds of discharge to further care by 1.4-1.5 and 2.1 times, respectively, CLABSI was not a statistically significant predictor. CONCLUSIONS: Both CAUTI and HAPI are statistically significant predictors of discharge to further care for patients after traumatic injury. High-quality nursing care to prevent iatrogenic complications can improve trauma patients' long-term outcomes.

The osmoregulated metabolism of trehalose contributes to production of type 1 fimbriae and bladder colonization by extraintestinal Escherichia coli strain BEN2908.

In Escherichia coli, the disaccharide trehalose can be metabolized as a carbon source or be accumulated as an osmoprotectant under osmotic stress. In hypertonic environments, E. coli accumulates trehalose in the cell by synthesis from glucose mediated by the cytosolic enzymes OtsA and OtsB. Trehalose in the periplasm can be hydrolyzed into glucose by the periplasmic trehalase TreA. We have previously shown that a treA mutant of extraintestinal E. coli strain BEN2908 displayed increased resistance to osmotic stress by 0.6 M urea, and reduced production of type 1 fimbriae, reduced invasion of avian fibroblasts, and decreased bladder colonization in a murine model of urinary tract infection. Since loss of TreA likely results in higher periplasmic trehalose concentrations, we wondered if deletion of otsA and otsB genes, which would lead to decreased internal trehalose concentrations, would reduce resistance to stress by 0.6 M urea and promote type 1 fimbriae production. The BEN2908ΔotsBA mutant was sensitive to osmotic stress by urea, but displayed an even more pronounced reduction in production of type 1 fimbriae, with the consequent reduction in adhesion/invasion of avian fibroblasts and reduced bladder colonization in the murine urinary tract. The BEN2908ΔtreAotsBA mutant also showed a reduction in production of type 1 fimbriae, but in contrast to the ΔotsBA mutant, resisted better than the wild type in the presence of urea. We hypothesize that, in BEN2908, resistance to stress by urea would depend on the levels of periplasmic trehalose, but type 1 fimbriae production would be influenced by the levels of cytosolic trehalose.

Raoultella planticola Urinary Tract Infection Presenting as Hyperbilirubinemia in a 3-Day-Old Infant.

Raoultella planticola is a Gram-negative, aerobic, nonmotile bacterium that is ubiquitous in the environment usually implicated in opportunistic infections. There have been very few reported cases of Raoultella planticola infection in the pediatric population. Most of these reports have been in cases of neonatal septicemia. This case report describes a case of a 3-day-old Hispanic full-term male that presented with recalcitrant hyperbilirubinemia despite maximal phototherapy found to have urinary tract infection with Raoultella planticola on multiple cultures. The patient's hyperbilirubinemia appropriately responded to treatment of the UTI. This report highlights that, albeit rare, neonatal UTI can present as recalcitrant hyperbilirubinemia. Raoultella planticola is a rare organism that is normally found in the environment but may be a bona fide etiologic agent in neonatal UTI.

Genomic Profile of a Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Strain Isolated from a Urine Specimen.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen mostly found in health care-associated infections but can also be associated with community-acquired infections and is in critical need of new antimicrobial agents for strains resistant to carbapenems. The prevalence of carbapenemase-encoding genes varies among studies. Multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae strains can harbor several antimicrobial-resistant determinants and mobile genetic elements (MGEs), along with virulence genetic determinants in community settings. We aim to determine the genetic profile of a multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae strain isolated from a patient with community-acquired UTI. We isolated a K. pneumoniae strain UABC-Str0120, from a urine sample of community-acquired urinary tract infection. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests and Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) were performed. The phylogenetic relationship was inferred by SNPs calling and filtering. UABC-Str0120 showed resistance toward ß-lactams, combinations with ß-lactamase inhibitors, and carbapenems. WGS revealed the presence of genes conferring resistance to aminoglycosides, ß-lactams, carbapenems, quinolones, sulfonamides, phosphonates, phenicols, and quaternary ammonium compounds, 77 subsystems of virulence genes were identified, and an uncommon sequence type ST5889 was also determined. The sequenced strain harbors several MGEs. The UABC-Str0120 recovered from a urine sample harbors several virulence and antimicrobial resistance determinants, which assembles an endangering combination for an immunocompromised or a seemly healthy host, given its presence in a community setting.

Suprapubic versus transurethral catheterization for bladder drainage in male rectal cancer surgery (GRECCAR10), a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Bladder drainage is systematically used in rectal cancer surgery; however, the optimal type of drainage, transurethral catheterization (TUC) or suprapubic catheterization (SPC), is still controversial. The aim was to compare the rates of urinary tract infection on the fourth postoperative day (POD4) between TUC and SPC, after rectal cancer surgery regardless of the day of removal of the urinary drain. METHODS: This randomized clinical trial in 19 expert colorectal surgery centers in France and Belgium was performed between October 2016 and October 2019 and included 240 men (with normal or subnormal voiding function) undergoing mesorectal excision with low anastomosis for rectal cancer. Patients were followed at postoperative days 4, 30, and 180. RESULTS: In 208 patients (median age 66 years [IQR 58-71]) randomized to TUC (n = 99) or SPC (n = 109), the rate of urinary infection at POD4 was not significantly different whatever the type of drainage (11/99 (11.1%) vs. 8/109 (7.3%), 95% CI, - 4.2% to 11.7%; p = 0.35). There was significantly more pyuria in the TUC group (79/99 (79.0%) vs. (60/109 (60.9%), 95% CI, 5.7-30.0%; p = 0.004). No difference in bacteriuria was observed between the groups. Patients in the TUC group had a shorter duration of catheterization (median 4 [2-5] vs. 4 [3-5] days; p = 0.002). Drainage complications were more frequent in the SPC group at all followup visits. CONCLUSIONS: TUC should be preferred over SPC in male patients undergoing surgery for mid and/or lower rectal cancers, owing to the lower rate of complications and shorter duration of catheterization. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02922647.

[Real-World Experience and Complications with Intermittent Balloon Catheters : A Predictor Analysis].

Intermittent balloon catheterization with a reusable and temporary balloon catheter that could be implanted and removed by the patient was developed in Japan in 1995. Although the intermittent balloon catheter has the potential to improve the patient's quality of life (QOL), appropriate information and guidelines are needed to prevent complications such as hematuria and urinary tract infection. This study aimed to assess the real-world practice, complications, and problems associated with the use of intermittent balloon catheters and provide useful information for future medical care. We conducted a questionnaire survey on patients with spinal cord lesions who currently use or have used intermittent balloon catheters in the past. Seventy-six patients with spinal cord lesions who visited Kanagawa Rehabilitation Hospital from August 2020 to March 2021 and gave consent for participating in this study were included. QOL scores before and after intermittent balloon catheter use showed significant improvement after use. Forty-six of the 76 (61.3%) patients had complications. Overall complications were significantly associated with male sex and possibly linked to non-traumatic spinal cord lesions.

Mendelian randomization analysis reveals higher whole body water mass may increase risk of bacterial infections.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The association of water loading with several infections remains unclear. Observational studies are hard to investigate definitively due to potential confounders. In this study, we employed Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess the association between genetically predicted whole body water mass (BWM) and several infections. METHODS: BWM levels were predicted among 331,315 Europeans in UK Biobank using 418 SNPs associated with BWM. For outcomes, we used genome-wide association data from the UK Biobank and FinnGen consortium, including sepsis, pneumonia, intestinal infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs) and skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Inverse-variance weighted MR analyses as well as a series of sensitivity analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Genetic prediction of BWM is associated with an increased risk of sepsis (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.19 to 1.51; P = 1.57 × 10- 6), pneumonia (OR: 1.17; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.29; P = 3.53 × 10- 4), UTIs (OR: 1.26; 95% CI 1.16 to 1.37; P = 6.29 × 10- 8), and SSTIs (OR: 1.57; 95% CI 1.25 to 1.96; P = 7.35 × 10- 5). In the sepsis and pneumonia subgroup analyses, the relationship between BWM and infection was observed in bacterial but not in viral infections. Suggestive evidence suggests that BWM has an effect on viral intestinal infections (OR: 0.86; 95% CI 0.75 to 0.99; P = 0.03). There is limited evidence of an association between BWM levels and bacteria intestinal infections, and genitourinary tract infection (GUI) in pregnancy. In addition, MR analyses supported the risk of BWM for several edematous diseases. However, multivariable MR analysis shows that the associations of BWM with sepsis, pneumonia, UTIs and SSTIs remains unaffected when accounting for these traits. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the causal relationship between BWM and infectious diseases was systematically investigated. Further prospective studies are necessary to validate these findings.