The effect of acidic maintenance solutions on catheter longevity.

Long-term urinary catheterisation is rarely completely free of complications. Catheter blockage from mineral salt encrustation occurs in 40-50 per cent of patients. Recurrent blockage is distressing to patients and carers and costly to health services in both time and resources. Laboratory-based evidence shows acidic maintenance solutions can be effective in dissolving encrustations. This is supported by clinical experience but there are few clinical studies and no well-controlled clinical trials to date. This article examines the range of evidence for the effect of maintenance solutions on catheter longevity.