title: Comparison study of home catheter cleaning methods.
abstract: Three methods of cleaning urinary catheters for reuse at home by clients on intermittent catheterization programs were studied. Reused catheters were collected from clients, autoclaved, and then incubated in a culture of Escherichia coli broth. Three different isolates of E. coli were used at concentrations ranging from 4.8 x 10(5) to 1.0 x 10(8) colony-forming units per milliliter. The catheters were then rinsed with tap water for 1 minute and soaked in one of three cleaning solutions for 30 minutes. The three cleaning solutions studied were 0.6% hydrogen peroxide, bleach in a 1:4 solution with tap water, and betadine in a 1:2 solution with tap water. None of the cleaned catheters showed detectable growth for 48 hours after the cleaning procedure was performed.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kurtz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Zandt
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Burns
mesh_terms: D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D002648:Child; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000451:nursing*