Hostname: page-component-77f85d65b8-8v9h9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-04-12T18:02:08.477Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Chronic Indwelling Catheter and Urinary Infection in Long-Term–Care Facility Residents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Philip W. Smith  and
Lindsay E. Nicolle
Philip W. Smith
Affiliation:
Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Lindsay E. Nicolle*
Affiliation:
Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
*
Health Sciences Centre, GC430-820 Sherbrook St, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1R9, Canada
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

From 5% to 10% of residents of long-term–care facilities have urinary drainage managed with chronic indwelling catheters. These residents are always bacteriuric, usually with a complex microbiological flora of two to five organisms and a biofilm on the catheter that may contribute to obstruction. Residents with chronic indwelling catheters have increased morbidity from urinary infection compared to bacteriuric residents without chronic catheters. The most effective means to prevent infection is limitation of chronic indwelling catheter use. While appropriate catheter care and infection control precautions are recommended in managing these patients, the impact of these practices on the occurrence of urinary infection or prevention of symptomatic episodes has not been evaluated. Symptomatic infection can likely be prevented by attention to catheter care, including early recognition and replacement of obstructed catheters and prevention of catheter trauma. Appropriate use of prophylactic antimicrobial therapy prior to invasive genitourinary procedures is also necessary. Asymptomatic bacteriuria should not be treated. When symptomatic episodes occur, patients should be evaluated clinically and microbiologically and treated with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Further technological advances in catheter material and urine drainage will be needed to have a substantial impact on the frequency of urinary infection with chronic catheter use.

Information

Type
Topics in Long-Term Care
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 22 , Issue 5 , May 2001 , pp. 316 - 321
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

1.Warren, JW. Catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Infect Dis Clin North Am 1997;11:609–622.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Kunin, CM, Douthitt, S, Dancing, J, Anderson, J, Moeschberger, M. The association between the use of urinary catheters and morbidity and mortality among elderly patients in nursing homes. Am J Epidemiol 1992;135:291–301.Google ScholarPubMed
3.Warren, JW, Stainberger, L, Hebel, R, Tenney, JH. The prevalence of urethral catheterization in Maryland nursing homes. Arch Intern Med 1989;149:1535–1537.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Alvery, S, Shell, CG, Woolley, TW, Berk, SL, Smith, JK. Nosocomial infections in long-term facilities. J Gerontol 1988;43:9–17.Google Scholar
5.Warren, JW, Tenney, JH, Hoopes, JM, Muncie, HL, Anthony, WC. A prospective microbiologic study of bacteriuria in patients with chronic indwelling urethral catheters. J Infect Dis 1982;146:719–723.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Breitenbucher, RB. Bacterial changes in the urine samples of patients with long-term indwelling catheters. Arch Intern Med 1984;144:1585–1588.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Mobley, HLT, Chippendale, GR, Tenney, JH, Mayrei, ARCrisp, U, Penner, JL, et al. MR/K hemagglutination of Providencia stuartii correlates with adherence to catheters and with persistence in catheter-associated bacteriuria. J Infect Dis 1988;157:264–271.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Bjork, DT, Pelletier, LL, Tight, RR. Urinary tract infections with antibiotic resistant organisms in catheterized nursing home residents. Infect Control 1984;5:173–176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Smith, PW, Seip, CW, Schaefer, SC, Bell-Dixon, C. Microbiologic survey of long term care facilities. Am J Infect Control 2000;28:8–13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Ramsay, JWA, Garnham, AJ, Mulhall, AB, Crow, RA, Bryan, JM, Eardley, I, et al. Biofilms, bacteria, and bladder catheters: a clinical study. British Journal of Urology 1989;64:395–398.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Elvis, AWS, Feneley, RCL. Long-term urethral catheterization and the urine-biomaterial interface. British Journal of Urology 1997;80:1–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Kunin, CM. Blockage of urinary catheters. The role of micro-organisms and constituents of urine on the formation of encrustations. J Clin Epidemiol 1989;42:835–842.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Mobley, HLT, Warren, JW. Urease-positive bacteriuria and obstruction of long-term urinary catheters. J Clin Microbiol 1987;25:2216–2217.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Bergqvist, D, Bronnestam, R, Hedelin, H, Stahl, A. The relevance of urinary sampling methods in patients with indwelling Foley catheters. British Journal of Urology 1980;52:92–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Grahn, D, Norman, DC, White, ML, Cantrell, M, Yoshikawa, TT. Validity of urinary catheter specimens for diagnosis of urinary tract infection in the elderly. Arch Intern Med 1985;145:1858–1860.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Tenney, JH, Warren, JW. Bacteriuria in women with long-term catheters: paired comparison of indwelling and replacement catheters. J Infect Dis 1988;157:199–202.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Warren, JW, Damron, D, Tenney, JH, Hoopes, JM, Deforge, B, Muncie, HL JrFever, bacteremia and death as complications of bacteriuria in women with long-term urethral catheters. J Infect Dis 1987;155:1151–1158.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Orr, P, Nicolle, LE, Duckworth, H, Brunka, J, Kennedy, J, Murray, D, et al. Febrile urinary infection in the institutionalized elderly. Am J Med 1996;100:71–77.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Ouslander, JG, Greengold, B, Chen, S. Complications of chronic indwelling urinary catheters among male nursing home patients: a prospective study. J Urol 1987;138:1191–1195.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20.Muncie, HL JrHoopes, JM, Damron, DJ, Tenney, JH, Warren, JW. Once-daily irrigation of long-term urethral catheters with normal saline. Arch Intern Med 1989;149:441–443.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Muder, RR, Brennen, C, Wagener, MM, Goetz, AM. Bacteremia in a long term care facility: a five year prospective study of 163 consecutive episodes. Clin Infect Dis 1992;14:647–654.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22.Warren, JW, Muncie, HL JrHall-Craggs, M. Acute pyelonephritis associated with bacteriuria during long-term catheterization: a prospective, clinicopathological study. J Infect Dis 1988;158:1341–1346.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.Warren, JW, Muncie, HL JrBergguist, EJ, Hoopes, JM. Sequelae and management of urinary infection in the patient requiring chronic catheterization. J Urol 1981;125:1–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24.Kunin, CM, Chin, QF, Chambers, S. Morbidity and mortality associated with indwelling urinary catheters in elderly patients in a nursing home—confounding due to the presence of associated diseases. J Am Ger Soc 1987;35:1001–1006.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25.Cools, HJM, van der Meer, JWM. Restriction of long-term indwelling urethral catheterization in the elderly. British Journal of Urology 1986;58:683–688.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26.Hebel, JR, Warren, JW. The use of urethral condom, and suprapubic catheters in aged nursing home patients. J Am Ger Soc 1990;38:777–784.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27.Smith, PW, Rusnak, PG. Infection prevention and control in the long term care facility. SHEA Long-Term–Care Committee and APIC Guidelines Committee. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1997;18:831–849.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28.Tambyah, PA, Maki, DG. The relationship between pyuria and infection in patients with indwelling urinary catheters. Arch Intern Med 2000;160:673–682.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29.Steward, DK, Wood, GL, Cohen, RL, Smith, JW, Mackowiak, PA. Failure of the urinalysis and quantitative urine culture in diagnosing symptomatic urinary tract infections in patients with long term urinary catheters. Am J Infect Control 1985;13:159–160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30.Alling, B, Brandberg, A, Seeberg, S, Svanborg, A. Effect of consecutive antibacterial therapy on bacteriuria in hospitalized geriatric patients. Scand J Infect Dis 1975;7:201–207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31.Warren, JW, Anthony, WC, Hoopes, JM, Muncie, HL JrCephalexin for susceptible bacteriuria in afebrile, long-term catheterized patients. JAMA 1982;248:454–458.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
32.Kunin, CM, Chin, QF, Chambers, ST. Formation of encrustations on indwelling urinary catheters in the elderly: comparison of different types of catheter materials in “blockers” and “nonblockers.” J Urol 1987;138:899–902.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
33.Stickler, DJ, Clayton, CL, Harber, MJ, Chawla, JC. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and long-term indwelling bladder catheters. Arch Phys Med Rehab 1988;69:25–28.Google ScholarPubMed
34.Martinez-Martinez, L, Pascual, A, del Carmen Conejo, M, Pieabea, L, Perea, EJ. Resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to imipenem induced by eluates from siliconized latex urinary catheters is related to outer membrane protein alterations. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1999;43:398–399.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
35.Cafferkey, MT, Falkiner, FR, Gillespie, WA, Murphy, DM. Antibiotics for the prevention of septicemia in urology. J Antimicrob Chemother 1982;9:471–477.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
36.Jewes, LA, Gillespie, WA, Leadbetter, A, Myers, B, Simpson, RA, Stower, MJ, et al. Bacteriuria and bacteremia in patients with long-term indwelling catheters—a domiciliary study. J Med Microbiol 1988;26:61–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
37.Bregenzer, T, Frei, R, Widmer, AF, Seiler, W, Probst, W, Mattarelli, G, et al. Low risk of bacteremia during catheter replacement in patients with long-term urinary catheters. Arch Intern Med 1997;157:521–525.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
38.Raz, R, Schiller, D, Nicolle, LE. Chronic indwelling catheter replacement before antimicrobial therapy for symptomatic urinary tract infection. J Urol 2000;164:1254–1258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
39.Nicolle, LE. A practical approach to the management of complicated urinary tract infection. Drugs 1997;53:583–592.CrossRefGoogle Scholar