The use of urinary sheaths in male incontinence.

Overall prevalence of urinary incontinence in men is 17%, rising to 31% in those men aged 85 years old or older (Anger et al, 2006). Penile sheaths, sometimes referred to as 'condom catheters', provide a reliable form of management for those men with intractable urinary incontinence. A penile sheath is a soft, flexible sleeve that fits over the penis with an anti-reflux bulbous end which culminates as a short tube that attaches to any standard urinary drainage system. Penile sheaths provide clinicians with a useful alternative to long-term urethral catheterization as they are non-invasive and consequently associated with a lower incidence of bacteraemia (Tenke et al, 2008).