A modified urinary catheterisation technique to reduce urine leakage: A prospective randomised study

Background Long-term indwelling catheters assist people who are unable to use another bladder management method. However, urine leakage is a common problem with an indwelling urinary catheter. This study aims to determine whether a modified catheterisation technique would reduce urine leakage incidence. Methods Participants were randomly divided into conventional or modified catheterisation groups. In the modified technique group, the volume of fluid that needed to be injected into the balloon to obtain a suitable catheter front-end curvature (120-145 degrees) was measured before catheterisation. Baseline characteristics and first-time success rates and procedure durations were similar between groups. Results There were 30 patients in each group. Compared with conventional catheterisation, the modified catheterisation group had smaller residual urine volume (median 11 mL Vs. 30.5 mL, p<0.001) and more leakage-free days (30 days Vs. 10 days, p<0.001). Leakage-free survival was longer in the modified catheterisation group (p<0.001). The residual urine volume (>17 vs <= 17 ml (median); incident rate ratio (IRR), 28.710; 95%CI, 4.114-200.331; p=0.001) was independently associated with urine leakage. Conclusions The modified catheterisation technique may reduce the incidence of urine leakage.