I joined this group last year after developing a UTI following a surgical procedure. Never having had one before the only source seemed to be the catheter. My late mother nearly died from a C-diff infection nearly twenty years ago. The cause again was a catheter and poor hygiene. What was frustrating was she did not need a catheter and it was fitted for the convenience of staff and the cleanliness/hygiene issues were addressed in the following years as the hospital had acquired an appalling reputation!
Depending on which reports you read catheters result in an infection rate anywhere between 3-5% and one third. These figures are truly dreadful and have a massive cost in both terms of patient suffering and financially (extended hospital stays requiring additional nursing and drugs - in my mother's case she was in hospital for a further three months and was never fully herself again).
With this in mind I was very glad to read that the University of Nottinghamshire is developing a bacteria resistant coating for catheters. To me this cannot come soon enough and hopefully it will become available sooner rather than later. I wish them well!
They lied! Did YOUR cystoscopy hurt?
Strange Bladder Problems
What Could it be? Can anyone help? Feeling alone and helpless. 
