COMPARING THE INCIDENCE OF URINARY CATHETER-INDUCED URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS IN BACTIGUARD AND STANDARD CATHETERS AT SHARIATI HOSPITAL IN TEHRAN

Background & Aims: Recently, the use of urinary catheters with antimicrobial coatings to prevent bacterial binding and transfer has led to a significant reduction in the prevalence of catheter-induced urinary tract infections.The present study was conducted to compare the incidence of urinary catheterinduced urinary tract infections between two types of catheters: standard and Bactiguard.Materials & Methods: This randomized clinical trial was performed on 100 consecutive patients with ASA class I-II who were admitted to the ICUs at Shariati Hospital in Tehran between January 2015 and January 2017 for various post-surgical reasons.Patients with normal urine analysis were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups: the first group received a standard Foley catheter, and the second group received a Bactiguard catheter.After surgery and transfer to the ICU, urine samples were collected from all patients under sterile conditions and sent to the laboratory for analysis.Results: The overall prevalence of urinary tract infection, confirmed by positive urine culture, was 6% in the Bactiguard catheter group and 20% in the standard catheter group, indicating a significantly lower infection rate in the former group (P = 0.037).The difference in catheter-related infection rates between the two groups was observed in women but not in men, non-obese but not in obese patients, non-smokers but not in smokers, and non-opium users but not in opium users.Conclusion: Catheter-associated infections were significantly reduced with Bactiguard catheters compared to conventional catheters.This risk reduction was particularly prominent in female patients, non-obese patients, non-smokers, and non-opium users.The observed effect is likely due to the antimicrobial properties of the silver, gold, and palladium coatings in Bactiguard catheters.