Decreased urethral mucosal damage and delayed bacterial colonization during short-term urethral catheterization using...

We evaluated the efficacy of a novel catheter with a trefoil profile to decrease urothelial irritation and delay catheter associated urinary tract infections by comparing it with a conventional catheter in the rabbit model.

A novel catheter was made of medical silicone with a trefoil profile design. A total of 66 male New Zealand White rabbits were anesthetized and equally randomized into a control or a novel trefoil profile catheter group. Of the animals 10 per group were sacrificed at days 2, 4 and 8 of catheterization, respectively. Urine samples were cultured and urethral tissues were histopathologically evaluated. The remaining 6 rabbits were selected for urethral endoscopic assessment at day 10.

After 4 days of catheterization the novel trefoil catheter profile decreased the rate of bacteriuria, defined as less than 100 cfu/ml, in 3 rabbits with a novel catheter vs that in 8 with a control catheter (p <0.05). Histopathological assessment revealed minor differences in staining in the short term. Endoscopic assessment showed more obvious mucosal inflammatory changes in 2 of the 3 controls than in the 3 rabbits with a novel catheter.

Results demonstrate that the novel catheter harbors a property of decreasing urothelial irritation and delaying catheter associated urinary tract infection. This advantage over conventional catheters makes it a potential alternative for short-term catheterization. Clinical trials are forthcoming.