title: The clinical significance of isolation of two different organisms from the urine of patients with an indwelling catheter.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We evaluated the clinical significance of urine cultures from patients with an indwelling urinary catheter (UC) from which 2 different pathogens were isolated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urine cultures from patients with a UC from which 2 different organisms were isolated were randomly divided into a control group (culture results were reported as usual) and a study group (culture results were reported as "mixed growth"). Endpoints included change in antibiotic treatment, use of broad spectrum agents, time for clinical improvement, and duration of admission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 81 cultures met the inclusion criteria. Antibiotic treatment was changed after 72-96 h in 19 (48%) study patients and in 25 (61%) controls (NS). There was no difference regarding narrowing or broadening of antibiotic spectrum, and duration of hospitalization was similar. In each group, 15 (36%) patients died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings imply that laboratory work-up of 2 pathogens from patients with an indwelling catheter may be discarded.
authors: Infectious Disease Unit, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors: Yonit
authors: Y
authors: Wiener-Well
authors: Ina
authors: I
authors: Gofman
authors: Marc V
authors: MV
authors: Assous
authors: Yossi
authors: Y
authors: Freier-Dror
authors: Amos M
authors: AM
authors: Yinnon
authors: Tamar
authors: T
authors: Lachish
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016482:Urinalysis / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents