Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
An In Vitro Bladder Model of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection
Published on: June 24, 2025
Hydrophilic catheters versus noncoated catheters for reducing the incidence of urinary tract infections: a randomized
Diana D Cardenas1, Jeanne M Hoffman
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA. dcardenas@med.miami.edu
Insights
Hydrophilic catheters may reduce antibiotic treatments for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in individuals with spinal cord injury using intermittent catheterization (IC). However, no significant difference in symptomatic UTIs was observed between catheter types in this small study.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Nephrology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common complication for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) requiring intermittent catheterization (IC).
- The choice of catheter material may influence UTI incidence and severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of hydrophilic catheters in reducing symptomatic UTIs among individuals with SCI undergoing self-IC.
- To compare the incidence of UTIs and bacteriuria between hydrophilic and non-coated catheters.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial was conducted in a community setting.
- Fifty-six participants with SCI on IC and a history of recurrent UTIs were enrolled.
- Participants were randomized to use either hydrophilic catheters or standard non-coated catheters for IC.
Main Results:
- While there was no statistically significant difference in the overall incidence of symptomatic UTIs or bacteriuria between the groups, the hydrophilic catheter group showed a trend towards fewer antibiotic treatment episodes.
- Seventy percent of the control group (non-coated catheters) required antibiotic treatment compared to 50% in the hydrophilic catheter group (P=.18).
- Female participants were found to have a significantly higher risk of developing UTIs, irrespective of catheter type.
Conclusions:
- Hydrophilic catheter use was associated with a reduction in the number of treated UTIs compared to standard catheters in individuals with SCI using self-IC.
- The study's small sample size limits definitive conclusions.
- The findings suggest that while hydrophilic catheters may offer benefits in reducing antibiotic use, women may require different management strategies due to a higher inherent risk of UTIs.
Unlabelled:
Cardenas DD, Hoffman JM. Hydrophilic catheters versus noncoated catheters for reducing the incidence of urinary tract infections: a randomized controlled trial.
Objective:
To test the hypotheses that hydrophilic catheters reduce the incidence of symptomatic urinary tract infections (UTIs) in persons with spinal cord injury on self-intermittent catheterization (IC).
Design:
Randomized controlled trial.
Setting:
Community.
Participants:
Subjects (N=56) on IC with recurrent UTIs and who met eligibility criteria.
Intervention:
Use of hydrophilic catheters for IC.
Main Outcome Measure:
Symptomatic UTIs treated with antibiotics.
Results:
Of the 56 subjects enrolled, 45 completed the study (22 in the treatment group, 23 in the control group). There were no significant differences in demographics, including sex, between the treatment group and the controls except for more tetraplegic subjects in the control group (P<.05). Seventy-one percent of the treatment group and 52% of the control group were men. The total number of symptomatic UTIs treated with antibiotics was significantly smaller in the treatment group than in the control group (P<.05). Seventy percent of the control group had at least 1 antibiotic treatment episode compared with only 50% of those with the hydrophilic catheter (P=.18). There was no significant difference in the incidence of bacteriuria or symptomatic UTIs among the 2 groups. Level of injury and years with injury were unrelated to symptomatic UTIs, but being female increased the risk of UTIs (P<.01).
Conclusions:
Although there was no difference in the number of symptomatic UTIs in the 2 groups, hydrophilic catheter usage was associated with reduced numbers of treated UTIs as compared with standard nonhydrophilic catheters in persons with spinal cord injury who used self-IC; however, the study is limited by a small sample size. Women on self-IC were more likely to develop UTIs regardless of the catheter type, suggesting that the benefits of the lubrication may be more important in men.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Urinary Tract Infection III: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care
01:17Urinary Tract Infection IV: Nursing Management
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:29Suctioning the Nasopharyngeal Airway
Equipment Required
01:26Urine Studies II: Urine Culture and Sensitivity Test
01:26Urinary Tract Infection I: Introduction