Prevention of urinary tract infections after vaginal surgery.

The technique of care of the bladder and indwelling catheter during the postoperative period was altered to determine whether the incidence of urinary tract infections following vaginal surgery could be reduced. Sixty-nine patients undergoing various types of vaginal reparative surgery were studied. Irrigation of the bladder was carried out with a closed system, four times daily, using chlorhexidine diacetate 1:20,000. Only 12 of the 69 patients showed urinary infection after removal of the catheter, a marked reduction in the usual incidence. It is suggested, therefore, that this technique is helpful in preventing urinary infection after vaginal surgery. It was noted, however, that a further 12 patients who were free of infection at the time of removal of the catheter subsequently developed infection as a result of catherization for residual urine. It is recommended that routine catheterization for residual urine be abandoned.