The efficacy of silver alloy-coated urinary catheters in preventing
urinary tract infection: a meta-analysis.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Saint%20S%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>Saint
S,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Elmore%20JG%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>Elmore
JG,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Sullivan%20SD%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>Sullivan
SD,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Emerson%20SS%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>Emerson
SS,
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Koepsell%20TD%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>Koepsell
TD.
Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
PURPOSE: Indwelling urinary catheters are implicated in most cases of
nosocomial urinary tract infection. Silver-coating of catheters may
reduce the risk of these infections; however, trials have provided
mixed results. We performed a meta-analysis to estimate the
effectiveness of silver-coated urinary catheters. SUBJECTS AND
METHODS: Published or unpublished articles were sought using MEDLINE,
reference review, and correspondence with original authors, catheter
manufacturers, and experts. Trials using silver-coated urinary
catheters in the treatment group and uncoated urinary catheters in
the control group were included. Bacteriuria, as evaluated by urine
culture, was the outcome variable used to indicate urinary tract
infection. Summary odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI)
were calculated using Mantel-Haenszel methods with a fixed-effects
model. RESULTS: Of 117 reports retrieved, eight trials with a total
of 2,355 patients satisfied inclusion criteria. The summary OR for
urinary tract infection was 0.59 (95% CI, 0.42 to 0.84) indicating a
significant benefit in the patients receiving silver-coated
catheters. A test of heterogeneity, however, indicated that the odds
ratios varied significantly among studies. Silver alloy catheters (OR
= 0.24; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.52) were significantly more protective
against bacteriuria than silver oxide catheters (OR = 0.79; 95% CI,
0.56 to 1.10). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis clarifies discrepant
results among trials of silver-coated urinary catheters by revealing
that silver alloy catheters are significantly more effective in
preventing urinary tract infections than are silver oxide catheters.
Though silver alloy urinary catheters cost about $6 more than
standard urinary catheters, they may be worth the extra cost since
catheter-related infection is a common cause of nosocomial infection
and bacteremia.
At 12:00 PM 4/9/2009, Danny Hearn said something that elicited my response:
I THINK I'M GOING TO ORDER SOME OF THE SILVER COATED CATHETERS TO
TRY SOON..........HAS ANYONE ELSE BESIDES DANNY IN CALI, TRIED THEM
OR HAD GOOD RESULTS///// ??? THANKS, DAN H. IN MISSOURI. C-6
SUPRA-PUBIC INDWELLING TYPE CATHETER USER.
