Reduction of catheter-associated urinary tract infections with polyhexanide solution irrigation in geriatric patients Abstract Area: Long-term Care

Lower urinary tract catheters are a common cause of urinary tract infections, especially in geriatric patients with indwelling catheters. These infections are a major source of antibiotic-resistant pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella pneumonia Broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents like polyhexanide have been effective antimicrobial agents removing the catheter biofilm. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 0.02% polyhexanide solution and normal saline in decolonizing catheters compared to no intervention in geriatric patients requiring long-term lower urinary catheterization. The study included 40 patients with silicone catheters; 20 patients were irrigated with 0.02% polyhexanide solution and normal saline once weekly for four weeks, while no catheter intervention was performed in the other group of 20 patients (controls). Urine cultures after four weeks showed a significant reduction in microbial count in catheterized patients irrigated with polyhexanide solution and normal saline compared to the no intervention group (p<0.05). The findings suggest that 0.02% polyhexanide solution with normal saline can effectively reduce bacterial load on catheters, potentially lowering catheter-associated urinary infections rates and minimizing antibiotic use thus avoiding antimicrobial resistance.