Water versus antiseptic periurethral cleansing before catheterization among home care patients: a randomized controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
There is a lack of research studies on periurethral cleansing before catheterization among home care patients. The purpose of this study was to compare the risk of acquiring symptomatic urinary tract infections through the conventional practice of using 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) versus sterile water for periurethral cleansing before insertion of an indwelling urinary catheter.


METHODS
A randomized controlled trial was used, and subjects were randomly allocated to either the sterile water group or the 0.05% CHG group. Urine specimens for culture were collected 4 times for each subject within 2 weeks.


RESULTS
Seventy-four urine samples were collected in 20 subjects (sterile water group, 8; 0.05% CHG group, 12). There was no significant difference in colonization count between the 2 groups. In addition, none of the subjects in the 2 groups developed symptomatic bacteriuria.


CONCLUSIONS
Using sterile water to clean the periurethral area before catheterization among home care patients will not increase the risk for urinary tract infections.
School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong. hskin@inet.polyu.edu.hk
Kin
K
Cheung
Polly
P
Leung
Yuen-ching
YC
Wong
Oi-king
OK
To
Yuet-fong
YF
Yeung
Mei-wa
MW
Chan
Yuen-ling
YL
Yip
Chi-wai
CW
Kwok
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D014521:Urethra / Q000382:microbiology; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000451:nursing; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology*; D014867:Water / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D014867:Water; D002710:Chlorhexidine