Bladder catheterization as a risk factor for urinary tract infection

Introduction:
Bladder catheterization contributes significantly to the occurrence of urinary tract infections. This is a common problem in health care both in Poland and around the world. Urinary catheters weaken the human body’s natural defences, damaging the mucosa of the urinary tract epithelium. There are many pathogens responsible for urinary tract infections. The most common ones include Esche-richia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Prevention of urinary tract infections is mainly based on adherence to the principles of asep-tic and antiseptic during the catheterization procedure and minimizing the duration of urinary catheter maintenance. The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk factor of bladder catheterization predisposing to urinary tract infection.

Material and methods:
The research method used in the study was documentoscopy, and the technique used was the analysis of medical records. The study included 66 patients of all departments, hospitalized between January and December 2020, with diagnosed hospital-acquired urinary tract infection. The study was conducted from May 2021 to February 2022 at the Specialized Hospital. The study was retrospective in nature. The records of the Hospital Infection Control Team and the aggregate nursing records were analysed.

Results:
It appeared that length of hospitalization (more than 14 days), advanced age, and bladder catheterization were risk factors responsi-ble for urinary tract infections. Urinary catheters were inserted in 51 cases among the 66 subjects. Urinary catheters were main-tained in the patients’ bladders for an average of 30.59 days. The urinary catheter inserted in most cases was an 18 Ch (Charrier scale) latex Foley catheter. There was no correlation between the clinical course of infection and the presence of a urinary catheter, the type, the size of a urinary catheter, or the number of catheter exchanges.

Conclusions:
Bladder catheterization is a risk factor for urinary tract infection.