Abstract
Observations have been made on the development of urinary infections in nine patients being intermittently catheterized during the early stages of paraplegia. The results indicate:
1. In four of the nine cases the organisms eventually responsible for the infection could be isolated from the urethra or its external meatus before they invaded the urine.
2. There is variation in the rate at which different organisms establish themselves in the urinary tract and reach a level of 105 organisms/ml. in the urine.
3. In five of the nine cases studied the invading bacteria were present at 105 organisms/ml. of urine prior to the production of a pyogenic infection.
4. The penile cleansing performed before the insertion of the catheter rarely sterilised the external meatus of the urethra.
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Stickler, D., Wilmot, C. & O'Flynn, J. The mode of development of urinary infection in intermittently catheterised male paraplegics. Spinal Cord 8, 243–252 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1970.43
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1970.43