The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of routine meatal care on the reduction of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (UTI). The study was carried out on 30 patients with foley catheters in an intensive care unit of a general hospital from September 30 to April 1, 1998. Participants were both male and female. Data were collected from each patients by urinary specimen obtained with aseptic collection technique at the 3rd and the 7th day of the experiment after giving daily mental care with 10% betadine for periods ranging from 1st to 7th day to the experimental group but not to the control group. The results are as follows : 1. The rate of urinary tract infection within the experimental group was 0.0%, at the 3rd day of the experiment and 20.0% at the 7th day, but that of the control group was 20.0% at the 3rd day and 7% at the 7th day. There was a significant difference in urinary tract infection rate between the two groups at the 3rd day but no significant difference at the 7th day. 2. In the control group, the rate of UTI was 0.7% for male and 13.3% for female at the 3rd day, and 6.7% for male and 40% for female at the 7th day. In the experimental group, the rate of UTI was 6.7% for male and 0.0% for female at the 3rd day and 13.3% for male and 20% for female at the 7th day of experiment. There was a no significant difference between male and female. 3. By comparing the rate of UTI to the length of time the urinary catheter was in place, the longer the catheter was in place the more significant was the rate of UTI. 4. Microorganisms isolated in the control group were bacteria for 7 cases and fungus for 3 cases but in the experimental group, only 2 cases of bacteria were isolated.