Residual urine not tied to urinary infection
Among nursing home residents, incomplete bladder emptying is not associated with the occurrence of a urinary tract infection, according to a report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
It is generally assumed that residual urine after voiding increases the risk for urinary tract infection, “in that it creates an environment favorable to bacterial growth,” Dr. Esther Kuhry from Namsos Hospital, Norway told Reuters Health.
However, she explained, “The few studies published so far show conflicting results with regards to the association of post-void residual and urinary tract infection in the elderly.”
To look into this issue, Kuhry and her colleagues studied 150 residents of six Norwegian nursing homes. Incomplete bladder emptying was noted in 43 percent of men and 31 percent of women.
There was no difference in the risk of developing one or more urinary tract infections in residents with a post-void residual urine volume of less than 100 mL or more than 200 milliliters or any amount in between, the researchers found.
Similarly, the average residual urine volume did not differ significantly between patients with or without urinary tract infections.
“We were surprised at the lack of association between postvoid residual and urinary tract infection,” Kuhry said. “The study confirms the results of those that could not detect any association between postvoid residual and urinary tract infection.”
Incontinence, on the other hand, was a risk factor for urinary tract infection, the team found. “We are now investigating the use of incontinence pads” Kuhry commented, “and possible association of this use with urinary tract infection in nursing home residents.”
SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, May 2008.
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