Residual urine not tied to urinary infection

Among nursing home residents, incomplete bladder emptying is not associated with the occurrence of a urinary tract infection. It is generally assumed that residual urine after voiding increases the risk for urinary tract infection, in that it creates an environment favourable to bacterial growth. The few studies published so far show conflicting results with regards to the association of post-void residual urine and urinary tract infection in the elderly. To look into this issue, researchers in Europe studied 150 residents of six nursing homes. Incomplete bladder emptying was noted in 43 percent of men and 31 percent of women. It was found that there was no difference in the risk of developing one or more urinary tract infections in residents with a post-void residual urine volume of less than 100 millilitres or more than 200 millilitres or any amount in between. Similarly, the average residual urine volume did not differ significantly between patients with or without urinary tract infections. The study confirms the results of those that could not detect any association between postvoid residual and urinary tract infection. Incontinence, on the other hand, was a risk factor for urinary tract infection.