[Epidemiology and strategy to prevent urinary catheters related complications]

Indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) is encountered in every four admitted in-patients. The risk of bacteriuria increases by 3‑7 % every day and is almost universal at 30 days. Of these, 10 % will develop symptomatic infection, bacteremia, septic choc or death. Traumatic complications of IUC are seldom studied, but are at least as frequent as the infectious complications of IUC, with similar impact on LOS or morbidity. Prevention should focus on finding alternatives to IUC (for example, use of condom for men, assess the non-hourly diuresis), a strict compliance on known indication for IUC and hygiene, as well as to ask every day the possibility to withdraw the catheter.