Silver Catheter UTI Infections

A urinary catheter is a thin, soft tube that's inserted up through the urethra and into the bladder to drain urine from the body. Some catheters are coated with a silver alloy to reduce the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs).

History

• In the late 1980s, researchers applied a silver oxide to the outside of catheters in the hope that the antimicrobial effect of the silver would reduce CAUTIs. However, there was no decrease in the UTI rate, and this type of catheter is no longer manufactured.

Features

• The latest generation of silver-coated catheters has a thin coating of colloidal silver alloy on the inner and outer surfaces of the catheter. This alloy is covered with a layer of hydrogel.

Functions

• The colloidal silver releases silver ions that are toxic to bacteria, and also inhibit the bacteria's ability to attach, multiply, and travel on the surface of the catheter.

Effects

• Several studies have shown that silver-coated catheters do a much better job of reducing CAUTIs than either uncoated catheters, or those coated with other substances.

Significance

• Catheter-associated urinary tract infections are the most common nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infection in the U.S. Various studies have shown that silver-coated catheters reduce the rate of CAUTIs by 30 to 55 percent and allow patients to go home sooner.