Treatment of Infection in the Presence of an Indwelling Urethral Catheter

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Abstract
It is unnecessary to treat laboratory-diagnosed urinary tract infection in the absence of clinical symptoms and signs in patients from whom specimens of urine have been taken from indwelling urethral catheters left in situ for > 1 wk. If there is clinical evidence of infection, the catheter should be removed, a new catheter inserted and a specimen taken for examination. Alternatively, a suprapubic aspirate of urine may be examined bacteriologically as a treatment guide. In a absence of symptoms or other signs of infection it is doubtful whether chemotherapy is indicated.