The Effectiveness of UroShield in Reducing Urinary Tract Infections and Patientsâ Pain Complaints: Retrospective Data Analysis from Clinical Practice

Objective: Antibiotic resistance is a common complication in long-term urinary tract infections (UTIs). Alternative treatments, such as UroShield acoustic wave technology prevents bacteria from attaching to the surface of catheters and has reduced the number of treated UTIs. The objective of the study was to compare quantitative and qualitative outcomes in patients with long-term UTIs at the start of UroShield treatment and after a 12-week trial. Methods: 23 patients with reoccurring UTIs were offered to use UroShield for a period of 12 weeks. Objective and subjective measures of improvement were recorded every week, including the number of UTIs, antibiotic treatment, catheter blockage and changes, bladder washout, hospitalisations or nurse visits due to UTIs, level of pain, sleep, and mobility. The patients’ qualitative reports about the device were recorded. The ongoing study started in 2018. Results: Wilcoxon signed ranks non-parametric test and thematic analysis were used to detect changes in UTIs and selfreported measures of pain and ease of wear. Patients reported a significant decrease in the number of UTIs and antibiotic treatment after a 12-week use of the Uroshield device (p < .001 and p = .009, respectively). Similarly, they had fewer catheter blockages and catheter changes (p = .006 and p < .001, respectively). Bladder washouts did not decrease over time. The pain was mild to moderate at the start of the trial which reduced significantly by the end of the trial (p = .017). Qualitative analysis confirmed the impact of the device on patients’ well-being, but an expanded study is needed to confirm these results. Further improvements to the device hardware have been identified by the patients. Conclusions: UroShield reduced the number of UTIs, catheter blockages and changes, and consequently the need for antibiotics. Patients reported the device is easy to use, were related to little to no pain, and overall improved patients’ well-being and mobility. We suggest the device should be considered as an appropriate treatment in long-term persistent UTIs.