Evaluation of a urinary catheter with a preconnected closed drainage bag.
The incidence of bacteriuria, significant urinary tract infection, and cost associated with the use of two urinary catheter drainage systems were evaluated in a population of hospitalized adult males. A commercially available device comprised of a Foley catheter attached with a heat-shrunk plastic seal to the tubing of a closed drainage bag (preconnected system) was compared with a standard system that had the Foley catheter attached to the closed drainage bag after it had been inserted. Using a randomized prospective design, the performance of the preconnected system in 97 patients was compared with that of the standard system in 105 patients. Catheters were left in place a mean of 6.4 and 7.6 days in the respective groups. Bacteriuria occurred after catheter insertion in 11.3% of patients receiving the preconnected system and 13.3% of patients receiving the standard system (not statistically significant). When bacteriuria developed, it occurred within seven days of catheter insertion in 50% of instances, irrespective of drainage system employed, suggesting that manipulations related to catheter insertion were important in initiating bacteriuria. Significant urinary tract infections occurred in only 2% of all patients studied. The higher cost for purchasing the preconnected system was not warranted for the population of patients studied.
DeGroot-Kosolcharoen
J
J
Medical Service, Wm. S. Middleton Memorial VA Hospital, Madison, WI 53705.
Guse
R
R
Jones
J M
JM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000209:etiology*; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000191:economics; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation