Extrait

Background and study aims A urinary catheter is a flexible tube that is used to drain the bladder and collect urine. About 1 in 4 patients in hospital need a urinary catheter for a short while. This may cause a urine infection in about 7% of them, amounting to about 30,000 patients per year in the UK. These infections are important because they slow patients' recovery from illness or surgery and can lead to serious consequences such as bloodstream infections. The 15% reduction in such infections called for in the NHS Plan is hard to achieve as, unfortunately, the catheters always become contaminated with bacteria from the patient's own skin or bowel. For every day that the catheter is left in, bacteria colonise the urine in about 5% of patients. Simple measures such as general hygiene and taking the catheters out as soon as possible help to reduce the overall risk of developing a urine infection. Recently it has been shown that catheters containing antibiotics or antiseptics such as silver reduce colonisation by bacteria and may lessen the risk of infection. However, these catheters are expensive and it is not clear how much they benefit patients and whether the increased costs are matched by better health. The aim of this study is to compare the use of standard catheters with catheters containing antibiotics or antiseptics in patients who only need a catheter for a short time (less than 2 weeks). Who can participate? Patients aged 16 or over who need a catheter as part of their routine care What does the study involve? Participants are randomly allocated to have either a standard or a treated catheter. They are asked to fill in questionnaires in hospital and after they go home to find out whether a urine infection occurred and if this affected their health, treatment or hospital stay. The costs and benefits of each type of catheter are then compared to see whether one is better than another for routine use in the NHS. Sub-groups of patients who are vulnerable to severe infection, such as the elderly and those in intensive care, are also studied to see whether treated catheters might particularly benefit them. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? The results of the study will allow the NHS to decide whether, for short-term use, catheters containing antibiotics or antiseptics reduce infections, result in better patient health and are cost-effective. Where is the study run from? University of Aberdeen (UK) When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? February 2007 to October 2010 Who is funding the study? Health Technology Assessment Programme (UK) Who is the main contact? Prof. James N'Dow [email protected]

Critère d'inclusion

• Urinary Tract Infections

Liens

• ictrp
• isrctn