Why should IC users care about hygiene procedures?

The basic importance of hand washing for the prevention of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) was well established by Semmelweis and Koch in the 19th century.¹

EAUN guidelines strictly encourage no-touch techniques and several guidelines also underline that patients who self-catheterise should disinfect or wash hands thoroughly with water and soap before catheterisation.^2-5

In addition, genital and peritoneal cleaning is associated with reduced UTI rate as is self-catheterisation compared to catheterisation by others.⁶

Self-catheterisation vs assisted IC

Many clinical studies have been conducted to compare self-catheterisation with catheterisation by others. Most studies found that the risk of UTIs was significantly reduced in the self-catheterising group.^6,8,9

Tips for your patients on hygiene before and during catheterisation:

• Disinfect or wash hands thoroughly with water and soap before catheterisation.^2-5
• Clean the genital and peritoneal areas before catheterisation.⁶
• If possible, use the no-touch technique when catheterising.¹⁰