conclusions
This study, the largest ever reported evaluating any silver-impregnated device, has not only failed to demonstrate the efficacy of silver in prevention of catheterassociated bacteriuria, as suggested in prior studies, but it has also shown a significantly increased incidence of bacteriuria in male patients and a significantly increased occurrence of staphylococcal bacteriuria. These results suggest the need for caution and for similar large-scale trials before silver-containing compounds are widely used for preventing deviceassociated infections, both in vascular and urinary catheters.