Although intermittent catheterisation is considered best practice for patients with neurogenic bladders and incomplete emptying, one major challenge for successful users is control of symptomatic urinary tract infections (UTIs). In addition to such consequences as days missed from school or work, visits to the laboratory, antibiotic use, risk of resistance and costs to the healthcare system, there is the possibility of upper tract damage resulting in renal impairment. Thus, products or methods that may reduce the incidence of UTIs need to be considered. Regional factors mean that some patients use sterile single-use disposable catheters and others reuse their catheters after washing them with soap and water. It would seem reasonable to assume that good technique and sterility of catheterisation are important in reducing UTIs. However, evidence is lacking to support sterile single-use over clean reused catheters.1 ,2

Attention has been paid recently to the potential for single-use hydrophilic catheters to reduce UTIs. Laboratory research suggests that compared with a …