The main findings of the review
This review identified that there is currently insufficient high-quality evidence which evaluates the effectiveness of different policies for replacing long-term urinary catheters. Only three randomised clinical trials, which included a total of 107 participants, were eligible and included in this review.
These trials evaluated: (i) different time intervals for catheter replacement, (ii) the use of antibiotics to prevent infection and (iii) the use of different cleaning solutions. There was insufficient evidence to suggest that replacing the catheter monthly and when there was a clinical reason to do so reduced bacteria in the urine compared to replacing the catheter only when there was a clinical reason to do so. However, there was not enough evidence to say whether using antibiotics at the time of replacing the catheter for prevention of infection was effective or whether using water to cleanse during catheter replacement was as effective as an anti-bacterial washing solution.