Periurethral Cleaning Prior to Urinary Catheterization in Children: Sterile Water versus 10% Povidone-Iodine

OBJECTIVE: To compare urinary infection rate in children cleaned with sterile water versus a 10% povidone-iodine before bladder catheterization. METHODS: Prospective randomized controlled study of children requiring bladder catheterization in the emergency department whose parents consented to the study were randomly assigned to either of 2 groups, in which sterile water (the "sterile water" group) or 10% povidone-iodine (the "10% povidone-iodine" group) was to be used for peri-urethral cleansing prior to catheterization. RESULTS: The sterile water group had 92 patients and the povidone-iodine group had 94. Most children (87%) were under 12 months of age. Urine cultures were positive in 16% of children in the povidone-iodine group and in 18% in the water group. There was no significant difference in signs and symptoms between the 2 groups. There was no significant association between solution preparation and cultures on univariate regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Cleaning the periurethral area of children with sterile water prior to catheterization is not inferior to cleaning with povidone-iodine.