Urease-positive bacteriuria and obstruction of long-term urinary catheters.
Long-term urethral catheterization (greater than or equal to 30 days), a management technique for urinary incontinence, results in polymicrobial bacteriuria. We frequently found urease-producing bacteria: of 1,135 weekly urine specimens from 32 long-term-catheterized patients, 86% had urease-positive bacterial species at greater than or equal to 10(5) CFU/ml. The most common species were Proteus mirabilis and Morganella morganii, each found in over half the specimens. P. mirabilis, but not other urease-positive species, was significantly associated with the 67 obstructions observed in 23 patients. M. morganii had a more complex association and in some way may protect the catheter from obstruction.
Mobley
H L
HL
Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201.
Warren
J W
JW
D000368:Aged; D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011511:Proteus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011512:Proteus Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D011513:Proteus mirabilis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014510:Urease / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects*
D014510:Urease