Silver-Coated Foley Catheter Helps Prevent Urinary Infections

The SilverCoat Foley Catheter is made of 100% silicone and is covered with a permanently lubricious coating that is impregnated with silver ions. The silver is retained in the hydrophilic coating through ionic bonding, which in turn is covalently bonded to the catheter silicone surface through patented surface modification technology. The coating thus provides a protective zone of bacterial inhibition that surrounds the catheter surface and resists microbial colonization, reducing the likelihood of CAUTI.

A Foley catheter is a thin, sterile tube inserted into the bladder to drain urine; since it may need to stay in place for an extended period of time, it is also called an indwelling catheter. It is held in place with a distal inflatable balloon filled with sterile water to prevent it from being inadvertently removed. The urine drains through the catheter tube into a bag, which is emptied when full. The SilverCoat Silicone Foley Catheter is a product of Covalon (Mississauga, Canada), and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“We believe our patented technology that is incorporated into our SilverCoat Foley provides superior protection for patients at risk of developing a CAUTI,” said Brian Pedlar, CEO of Covalon. “With up to 25% of the patients hospitalized in the United States catheterized and annually over 500,000 patients with indwelling catheters developing an infection, we believe the opportunity for Covalon’s SilverCoat Foley to make a strong clinical impact is compelling.”

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection involving any part of the urinary system, including urethra, bladder, ureters, and kidney. Among hospital acquired UTIs, approximately 75% are catheter associated, with the most important risk factor for developing CAUTI being prolonged use of the urinary catheter, as indicated in between 15%–25% of hospitalized patients.

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