Antiseptic catheter gel and urinary tract infection after short-term postoperative catheterization in women.

This paper compares the rates of postoperative urinary tract infection (UTI) when an antiseptic lubricating gel was used at catheter insertion in 132 women and not used in 387 women. 519 consecutive patients admitted for elective gynaecological surgery were studied prospectively. Antibiotics were not used. Mean catheterization time was 1.4 days (range 1-3). Postoperative UTI occurred in 17.4% and 18.3% of the patients, respectively (p = 0.95). Therefore, using antiseptic anaesthetic gel at catheter insertion does not appear to reduce the risk of UTI associated with short-term transurethral catheterization after gynecological surgery.