You have successfully logged out.

Hello !
Logout

Intermittent urinary catheterization

Urinary tract infection - a common burden[1]

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most important complication of patients using intermittent urinary catheterization but also other complications can impact patients' overall health and their quality of life.[2,3]

Real-World Evidence

Research into ssUTIs in users of intermittent urinary catheters

We funded the first Real-World Evidence of intermittent catheterization to compare the effects of pre-lubricated and hydrophilic catheters on the incidence of symptoms suggestive of urinary tract infections (ssUTIs).[6]

A patient database compiled by a representative panel of 1,950 general practitioners and 2,950,381 active patients in the UK was used for this longitudinal, observational study. This database considered 5,296 people using catheters.

Outcome of the study

Most importantly, the study showed significant results indicating a lower incidence of ssUTIs when pre-lubricated catheters were used:[6]

  • The number of ssUTIs per affected patient was significantly lower when pre-lubricated instead of hydrophilic catheters were used, particularly in the groups of female users, prevalent patients and in the subgroup of 18 to 50 years.
  • The proportion of patients with one or more ssUTIs in the study period was lower when pre-lubricated catheters instead of hydrophilic catheters were used.
  • In the subgroup of patients who did not switch between catheter types during the study, the so called "continuous use" patient group, the proportion of patients with at least one ssUTI was even 20.9 percent lower when pre-lubricated instead of hydrophilic catheters where used.
Study design and extract of its outcome, modified by B. Braun for the EAU congress 2021. Study design and extract of its outcome, modified by B. Braun for the EAU congress 2021.

Related documents

What is Real-World Evidence (RWE) and Real-World Data (RWD)?

Real-World Evidence (RWE) and randomized control trial (RCT) data are considered mutually complementary and a most powerful resource in evidence-based medicine.

[1] Öztürk R, Murt A. Epidemiology of urological infections: a global burden. World J Urol. 2020 Nov;38(11):2669-2679. doi: 10.1007/s00345-019-03071-4. Epub 2020 Jan 10. PMID: 31925549.

[2] Wyndaele JJ. Complications of intermittent catheterization: their prevention and treatment. Spinal Cord. 2002 Oct;40(10):536-41. doi: 10.1038/sj.sc.3101348. PMID: 12235537

[3] Fumincelli L, Mazzo A, Martins JCA, Henriques FMD, Cardoso D, Rodrigues MA. Quality of Life of Intermittent Urinary Catheterization Users and Their Caregivers: A Scoping Review. Worldviews Evid Based Nurs. 2017 Aug;14(4):324-333. doi: 10.1111/wvn.12231. PMID: 28742287.7.

[4] Rognoni C, Tarricone R. Healthcare resource consumption for intermittent urinary catheterisation: cost-effectiveness of hydrophilic catheters and budget impact analyses. BMJ Open. 2017 Jan 17;7(1):e012360. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012360. PMID: 28096251; PMCID: PMC5253566. 

[5] Huemer M, Mairpady Shambat S, Brugger SD, Zinkernagel AS. Antibiotic resistance and persistence-Implications for human health and treatment perspectives. EMBO Rep. 2020 Dec 3;21(12):e51034. doi: 10.15252/embr.202051034. Epub 2020 Dec 8. PMID: 33400359; PMCID: PMC7726816.

[6] Chartier-Kastler E, Chapple C, Schurch B, Saad M. A Real-world data analysis of intermittent catheterization, showing the impact of prelubricated versus hydrophilic catheter use on the occurrence of symptoms suggestive of urinary tract infections. Eur Urol Open Sci. 2022 Mar 4;38:79-87. doi: 10.1016/j.euros.2022.02.008. PMID: 35495281; PMCID: PMC9051966.