Factors associated with urinary tract infection in the early phase after performing intermittent catheterization in individuals with spinal cord injury: a retrospective study

This study investigated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) who use intermittent catheterization (IC). The goal was to find out how common UTIs are soon after starting IC and what factors might be linked to these infections. Researchers looked back at the medical records of 183 adults with SCI who began using IC during their hospital stay. They collected data on things like age, gender, injury details, diabetes, urine tests, catheterization methods, bladder rinsing, and whether they stopped using IC due to UTIs. The study found that UTIs are common after starting IC. Factors like being female, using antibiotics for other infections, and using bladder irrigation were linked to fewer UTIs. This suggests these factors might help reduce the risk of UTIs in SCI patients who use IC.

• 1
  UTI after performing IC is prevalent among people with SCI.
• 2
  Female sex, use of antibiotics for infections other than UTI, and use of bladder irrigation were found to be associated with a lower occurrence rate of UTI in the early phase after performing IC.
• 3
  The study indicated that antibiotic prophylaxis and routine bladder irrigation might be associated with the reduction in UTI in the early phase after performing IC.