Short-term urinary catheters and their risks: an integrated systematic review.

Background: This thematic review was part of a bigger literature review into the effects of short-term urinary catheters on patients who are discharged home from an acute hospital.
Aims: This integrated review examined the risks associated with short-term urinary catheters.
Methods: The MEDLINE, British Nursing Index and CINAHL databases were searched for studies published between 2013 and 2018 that researched the effects of short-term urinary catheters on patients.
Findings: Twelve research studies were included, which showed the presence of short-term indwelling urinary catheters increased the risk of infection, length of hospital stay and mortality rates.
Conclusion: Short-term urinary catheters should be strictly monitored and removed as soon as they are not required.