Previous UTIs are accepted as a risk factor because they render the bladder urothelium into a chronic, inflammatory state that is more susceptible to re-infection.1
What do we know from the evidence?
A 7-year prospective study of CIC-users found two predictive factors2:
- Patients with high UTIs at the start of the study also had high UTI rates at the end of the follow-up period
- High UTI rates were linked to development of high catheterisation volumes
- Kennelly M, Thiruchelvam N, Averbeck MA et al., Adult neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction and intermittent catheterisation in a community setting: Risk factors model for urinary tract infections. Advances in Urology. 2019;Apr 2:1–13
- Bakke A, Digranes A, and Hoisoeter P A, Physical predictors of infection in patients treated with clean intermittent catheterization: a prospective 7-year study. BJU International. 1997;79(1):85–90