Published in:
Open Access
01-12-2013 | Study protocol
A randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of urinary catheters with silver alloy coating in spinal cord injured patients: trial protocol
Authors:
Xavier Bonfill, David Rigau, María Luisa Jáuregui-Abrisqueta, Juana María Barrera Chacón, Sebastián Salvador de la Barrera, Carolina María Alemán-Sánchez, Manuel Bea-Muñoz, Susana Moraleda Pérez, Albert Borau Duran, Juan Ramón Espinosa Quirós, Luís Ledesma Romano, Manuel Esteban Fuertes, Ignacio Araya, Ma José Martínez-Zapata
Published in:
BMC Urology
|
Issue 1/2013
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Abstract
Background
Patients with non-acute spinal cord injury that carry indwelling urinary catheters have an increased risk of urinary tract infection (UTIs). Antiseptic Silver Alloy-Coated Silicone Urinary Catheters seems to be a promising intervention to reduce UTIs; however, actual evidence cannot be extrapolated to spinal cord injured patients. The aim of this trial is to make a comparison between the use of antiseptic silver alloy-coated silicone urinary catheters and the use of standard urinary catheters in spinal cord injured patients to prevent UTIs.
Methods/Design
The study will consist in an open, randomized, multicentre, and parallel clinical trial with blinded assessment. The study will include 742 spinal cord injured patients who require at least seven days of urethral catheterization as a method of bladder voiding. Participants will be online centrally randomized and allocated to one of the two study arms (silver alloy-coated or standard catheters). Catheters will be used for a maximum period of 30 days or removed earlier if the clinician considers it necessary. The main outcome will be the incidence of UTIs by the time of catheter removal or at day 30 after catheterization, the event that occurs first. Intention-to-treat analysis will be performed, as well as a primary analysis of all patients.
Discussion
The aim of this study is to assess whether silver alloy-coated silicone urinary catheters improve ITUs in spinal cord injured patients. ESCALE is intended to be the first study to evaluate the efficacy of the silver alloy-coated catheters in spinal cord injured patients.