A Preliminary Randomised Crossover Study to Determine User Acceptability and Laboratory Data Regarding Use of a Novel Indwelling Urinary Catheter: the Optitip Study

When normal bladder emptying is not possible due to injury, disease, surgery, or neurological conditions, an indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) may be required. An estimated 90,000 people in the UK require a long-term urinary catheter. Urinary catheters are associated with significant harm and can cause substantial distress. Furthermore, managing frequent catheter-associated problems is a resource intensive burden to the providers of community healthcare services Currently, most patients use the standard Foley catheter design and experience problems that can constrain work and social lives, lead to UTI and pain and substantially reduce quality of life. The Optitip catheter became available on the Drug Tariff in 2017. Unlike the Foley catheter design which has a protruding tip, the Optitip has a blunt open end (eyelet) that protrudes slightly beyond a single fluid-filled 10ml balloon. It has an additional drainage eyelet underneath the balloon. The Optitip therefore has the potential to make important differences to patients by reducing pain/discomfort; reducing blockage frequency and potentially reducing clinical infection.