Assessment of nosocomial urinary tract infections in orthopaedic patients: a prospective and comparative study using two different catheters.

Catheter-related nosocomial urinary tract infection in postoperative orthopedic and trauma patients was studied prospectively using nitrofuroxone-impregnated urinary catheters (study group) and regular silicone-coated Foley catheters. Fifty adults in each group were randomly assigned. In Group A, antibiotic-impregnated catheters were used, and in the other, non-antibiotic-impregnated urinary catheters were used (Group B). The variables studied were age, sex, type of surgery, duration of surgery, number of catheter days, days of intravenous line, and hospital days. In patients, urinary tract infection (UTI) was diagnosed by culture and the organism was isolated. The average age in the study group was 43.90 years (range, 14-95 years) compared with the control group (mean age, 42.22 years; range, 14-102 years). Catheter days in the nitrofuroxone-impregnated catheters was 7.9 days (range, 2-37 days) versus 7.2 days (range, 2-30 days). The intravenous line in the group was 9.16 days (range, 2-35 days) versus 8.8 days (2-22 days). There were six infections (P = 0.028) in the control group compared with the study group. The length of operation was similar in each group. Our study indicates that nitrofuroxone-impregnated catheters have the potential to reduce nosocomial catheter-related UTIs in postoperative orthopedic and trauma patients.