Urinary catheters are used by millions of hospitalized patients each year. These medical devices collect urine when patients are unable to expel it by ordinary methods. Although catheters are indispensible in medical practice, bacteria from the intestinal tract can live on skin surrounding the urethra, and enter the body through the catheter. Patients experience hundreds of thousands of urinary tract infections each year, due to this phenomenon.
Research has shown that use of silver alloy-coated catheters can reduce urinary tract infection rates by nearly one-half. Moreover, these precious metal-coated catheters not only reduce medical costs by reducing infection rates, but are only about $5 more expensive to produce than standard catheters.
The University Health System, who conducted clinical trials, estimates that detection and treatment of symptomatic urinary infections can range between $835 and $4,082 per incidence. Silver alloy-coated catheters are most effective when used to treat patients who must employ the device for longer time periods.
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