According to McCormick, urinary retention is one of the primary conditions managed by IC. Lower urinary tract diseases, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, stoma, and atonic bladder, can cause urinary retention. Other possible causes include spinal cord injury, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, stroke, diabetes, etc.
Urinary catheters allow coping with retention, but they also cause pain, urethral trauma, infections, inconvenience, fears, and privacy concerns.
Session presenter stressed out that on average every catheter user performs about 3,600 catheter insertions and removals over the year. There are many issues associated with IC, but UTIs are the most bothersome consequence. These infections are usually treated with antibiotics, but drug resistance is a growing problem.
Do coatings and materials make a difference in terms of UTI prevention? While plastic and latex are the most common catheter materials, popular coatings include gel, paraffin, and hydrophilic or Urotonic Surface Technology. Non-coated catheters with external lubricant have low osmolality, which can increase risk of sticking, trauma, and thus infection. Hydrophilic catheters have the same osmolality as urine, which decreases urethral trauma and helps to prevent UTIs (Figure 1)
Figure 1
Recent data suggest that hydrophilic catheters (LoFric) reduce the risk of UTIs by 16-64%, thus proving that catheter coating and material matter in terms of preventing IC complications and improving patients’ quality of life.
Presented by: Nikki McCormick, RN, Wellspect HealthCare/Managing Director
Written by: Hanna Stambakio, BS, Clinical Research Coordinator, Division of Urology, University of Pennsylvania, @PennUrology at the 2018 ICS International Continence Society Meeting - August 28 - 31, 2018 – Philadelphia, PA USA