Differences in the incidence of urinary tract infections between neurogenic and non-neurogenic bladder dysfunction individuals performing intermittent catheterization.

PURPOSE: To measure the incidence and severity of urinary tract infections (UTI) in intermittent catheter (IC) users with neurogenic and non-neurogenic diagnoses.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Administrative health insurance claims data from the IBM MarketScan® Database between January 1, 2015 and  December 31, 2019, were analyzed. New IC-users with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD); IC-users without NLUTD (non-NLUTD); and age-and-sex-matched general population without IC use (GEN) were compared. Individuals were followed for one year after initial IC utilization or random index date for GEN. The primary outcome was a patient seeing a physician or attending a hospital for a UTI (measured with a primary or secondary diagnosis code related to a UTI). UTI incidence, hospitalizations, and length of hospital stay were compared.

RESULT: We identified 6944 NLUTD, 5102 non-NLUTD, and 120 426 GEN individuals. The annualized UTI incidence was higher in IC-users (54.9% NLUTD IC-users and 38.9% non-NLUTD IC-users) compared to GEN individuals (9.8%) (p < 0.001 between groups). Hospitalization for UTI was more common in NLUTD and non-LUTD (11.3% and 4.0%, respectively) compared with GEN individuals (1.0%) (p < 0.001 between groups). NLUTD individuals had a greater average length of hospital stay than non-NLUTD (2.2 ± 3.6 vs. 1.6 ± 2.1 days, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: IC users had a significantly higher incidence of UTIs than the general population. NLUTD IC-users had a higher incidence of UTIs that required hospitalization compared to non-NLUTD individuals. Strategies to decrease the patient and healthcare burden of UTIs in those that catheterize should be prioritized.