Prevention of Catheter-Induced Urinary-Tract Infections by Sterile Closed Drainage

THE indwelling urinary catheter is an essential part of modern medical care. It is widely used to give temporary relief of anatomic or physiologic urinary obstruction, facilitate surgical repair of the urethra and surrounding structures, provide a dry environment for comatose or incontinent patients and permit accurate measurement of urinary output in severely ill patients. Unfortunately, when poorly managed, the indwelling catheter may present a hazard to the very patients it is designed to protect. It is the leading cause of nosocomial, induced urinary-tract infections.1 2 3 A number of approaches to the problem of the care of the catheter have been . . .