Results of Culture Obtained from the Tip of Used Foley Catheter

Kwon, Chil Kun; Kim, Se Kyong

Abstract

Positive bacterial culture was obtained in 33 out of 70 cultures of the tip of used Foley catheter, performed during the period of 20 months from March l st, 1977 to October 31st, 1978 and the following results were obtained. l. Almost twice much positive bacterial culture was obtained from the culture of used catheter tip (45. 7%) compared with the urine culture taken from the same patient at the same time (24. 3%). 2. Positive culture rate of the catheter tip in the group who was catheterized at operating room (32.7%) was much lower than in the group catheterized at ward (76.2%). Very few positive culture was obtained from the catheter tip used in a patient who had normal urine findings previous to catheterization if this indwelling catheter removed within 72 hours. 4. The most common organism on the culture of the catheter tip was proteus sp. (9 cases), and less commonly, pseudomonas (3 cases), enterococci (3 cases), yeast (3 cases), E. coli (2 cases), klebsiella (2 cases), alcaligenes (2 cases), enterobact.(2 cases) and citrobact.(2 cases) were found.