A study, published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, examined the effectiveness of cleaning a urinary catheter, before and during use, in avoiding catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
The researchers conducted a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis of studies focusing on catheter cleaning. In total, they identified 2,665 potential papers, of which 14 studies were eligible for inclusion.
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The study shows that there was no difference in the incidence of CAUTI when comparing antiseptic and non-antiseptic agents.
Additionally, there was no difference in CAUTI incidence when comparing different agents:
• Povidone-iodine versus routine care
• Povidone-iodine versus soap and water
• Chlorhexidine versus water
• Povidone-iodine versus saline
• Povidone-iodine versus water
• Green soap and water versus routine care
However, study authors note that "methodological issues hamper generalizability of this finding."