New research is being conducted to find the best type of urethral catheter for reducing urinary tract infections in hospital patients. The clinical trial will be conducted across eight hospitals - comparing antibiotic and antiseptic impregnated urethral catheters.
The £1.4 million study will target patients who only need a catheter for a short time (less than two weeks) to find out whether a urine infection occurred. Researchers will then compare the costs and benefits of each type of catheter to see which one is best for routine use in the NHS. Researchers also aim to find out whether treated catheters might particularly benefit specific subgroups of patients, such as elderly patients and those in intensive care who are particularly vulnerable to infection.
The research is being commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research's Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme and is led by Professor James N'Dow of the University of Aberdeen.
