patients and methods
A total of 1,309 hospitalized patients who required placement of an indwelling urinary catheter for 24 hours or longer were randomly assigned to receive either a silicone catheter coated externally with 5% silver oxide or a standard silicone elastomercoated latex catheter. Daily catheter-urine specimens were collected aseptically and catheter-care violations were monitored daily for the duration of the catheterization.