Purple urine bag syndrome

Abstract

Purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS) is a rare syndrome that causes violet discoloration of urine in permanent urinary catheter and in the urinary bag. This discoloration frequently results from the action of mixed and polyresistant bacterial flora that is present in the urinary tract and can cause infection. PUBS is therefore, in certain cases, a useful clinical sign of ongoing urinary infection. At the same time, it is a very stressful event not only for the patient and his family, but also for the doctor himself, if he is not sufficiently familiar with the issue. Its occurrence is predominantly in chronically ill patients, often attached to the bed, where the inserted urinary catheter is almost a matter of course.