Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39414620›Full record

Observational studyBJU international2025

Bladder irrigation with tap water to reduce antibiotic use for urinary tract infections in catheter users.

Stefan den Hoedt, Felice E E van Veen, Jeroen R Scheepe, Bertil F M Blok

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BJU international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Stefan den HoedtDepartment of Urology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Felice E E van VeenDepartment of Urology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0947-052X
Jeroen R ScheepeDepartment of Urology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Bertil F M BlokDepartment of Urology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo evaluate the safety and effectiveness of bladder irrigation (BI) with tap water to reduce antibiotic use for the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in patients with recurrent UTI symptoms and to assess the treatment satisfaction of BI. PATIENTS AND

methodsThis prospective, observational study included patients with an indwelling catheter or performing clean intermittent catheterisation (CIC) who had recurrent UTI symptoms between July 2022 and March 2024. BI with tap water was used for the treatment of UTIs without systemic symptoms (e.g., fever, flank pain or delirium). Patients started daily irrigation at the onset of UTI symptoms and used a tapering schedule. The number of antibiotic treatments for UTIs, UTI incidence rate ratio (IRR), UTI-related hospitalisations, treatment satisfaction and quality of life (QoL) were compared between a 3-month period before and after BI with tap water.

resultsA total of 60 patients were included with a median (interquartile range) age of 64.5 (50.4-72.6) years, 66.7% were male, and 83.3% were performing CIC. Antibiotic use was decreased on average by 38.1% (IRR = 0.62; P = 0.016) and catheter-associated UTIs by 37.9% (IRR = 0.62; P = 0.005). No increase was observed in the incidence of UTIs with systemic symptoms or UTI-related hospitalisations. In addition, no differences were observed in the health-related QoL. The majority of patients were positive about the subjective effectiveness (81%), ease of use (86%) and overall satisfaction (85%) of BI with tap water.

conclusionThese findings emphasise the potential of BI with tap water as a promising and patient-friendly alternative for the treatment of UTIs in patients with urinary catheters. BI with tap water significantly reduces antibiotic use and UTI incidence in patients with recurrent UTIs and is a safe and patient-friendly alternative that can be easily implemented in the management of UTIs.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsCatheter-Related InfectionsTherapeutic IrrigationUrinary Tract InfectionsAgedCatheters, IndwellingFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesQuality of LifeUrinary CatheterizationAnti-Bacterial Agentsantibiotic resistancebladder irrigationbladder washoutcatheter‐associated urinary tract infectionsustainabilityurinary cathetersurinary retention

Identifiers

PMID39414620
PMCPMC11745996

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.