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The urinary catheter is one of the most popular catheters, it is a small tube made of plastic that is inserted into the neck of the bladder. It is used in people who have undergone surgeries or procedures to drain urine from the bladder. What are the types of urinary catheter? Can catheter insertion cause complications? Are catheters only for urological use? You will find answers to these and other questions below.
Urological catheters – application
The urinary catheter is a disposable product that is usually inserted into the bladder neck to drain the urine. Another use for a urinary catheter is to administer a variety of drugs directly into the urinary tract. The urinary catheter can be used in various imaging tests, such as cystography or cystometry.
Urological catheter is used in patients who have problems urinating or in case of urinary retention in the urinary tract. Such situations may occur not only after surgeries or surgical or urological procedures, but also as a result of malformations or mechanical injuries. The size of the urinary catheter is given in the French scale, which is the size of the circumference of the catheter in millimeters.
1 F is equal to 0,33 mm of the outer diameter of the catheter. The length of the catheters varies from 180 mm for women to 400 mm for men. The use of a catheter requires covering it with an anesthetic gel, facilitating its introduction into the urinary tract. The inserted catheter must be attached to the skin, e.g. with a plaster, and a urine bag with a capacity of 750 ml to 2 liters is attached to the catheter.
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Urological catheters – types
It is very important to choose the catheter according to the patient’s needs, both in terms of its shape and tip. There are several types of urological catheters that differ in the previously mentioned elements. The most popular types of urinary catheter are:
- Foley catheter – characterized by a straight end, which has a hole built into the side at the end of the catheter and a balloon that stabilizes the position. The material of the Foley catheter is a substance with a rubber structure or a plastic mass and silicone, which are better tolerated by the patient’s body. This catheter is used only once and is placed in the bladder for several days.
- Nelaton catheter – it is a sterile-packed catheter, characterized by a soft and flexible structure, it is used once to drain urine from the bladder.
- Tiemann catheter – this catheter used in patients with prostatic hypertrophy is characterized by a cone-shaped tip and two side openings through which urine is drained from the bladder.
- External catheter – it is a catheter that is put on the penis, it is safer than a catheter inserted inside the urinary tract, it is characterized by a transparent structure and an adhesive that holds the catheter in position.
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Foley catheter – characteristics
A Foley catheter is a thin, sterile tube that is inserted into your bladder to drain urine. Since it can be left in the bladder for a while, it is also called a permanent catheter. Finally, it is held in place with a balloon filled with sterile water to prevent removal of the catheter from the bladder. Urine flows through the catheter tube into the bag, which is emptied when full. The procedure for inserting a catheter is called catheterization.
The Foley catheter is used for many disorders, procedures, or problems, such as:
- urinary retention leading to hesitating urination, straining to urinate, reduced size and strength of the urine stream, interruption of the urine stream, and a feeling of incomplete emptying
- obstruction of the urethra by an anatomical condition that makes it difficult to urinate: prostate enlargement, prostate cancer or narrowing of the urethra,
- monitoring urine output in a critically or injured person,
- collection of a sterile urine sample for diagnostic purposes
- nerve-related bladder dysfunction, such as after a spinal injury (a catheter may be inserted regularly to help urinate)
- imaging examination of the lower urinary tract,
- After the surgery.
Female catheterization: the female urethra is short compared to the male urethra. It is located above the vagina in the pelvis. The insertion of the catheter facilitates the positioning of the woman on her back with the buttocks on the edge of the gynecological chair. Appropriate exposure of the urethra is achieved by lifting and supporting the legs on the armchair. Finally, the labia are separated to expose the urethra.
Male catheterization: The male urethra is longer compared to the female urethra. The Foley catheter is placed in the supine position or in the frog-legged position. If there is a foreskin, it is retracted to the maximum.
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Foelya catheter – labor induction
The Foley catheter, despite being a catheter mainly used in urology, is sometimes used to induce labor to induce contractions and dilate the cervix. This method of induction is an effective, safe method of induction of labor for many pregnant women.
A Foley catheter is a device usually used to empty your bladder. But in this case, part of the “balloon” is inserted into the uterus and inflated, which puts pressure on the cervix to dilate and contract. The Foley catheter is the most commonly used mechanical induction method.
This method of labor induction begins with the physician inserting a Foley balloon, sometimes through a speculum, into the uterus through the vagina. The Foley catheter balloon is placed between the amniotic sac and the lower segment of the uterus (lower part of the uterus) on the other side of the cervix. The balloon is then filled with saline and left in place. It is glued to the thigh for a gentle grip. The catheter will usually drop out by itself when extended 3 centimeters.
The Foley catheter can be used for induction in a variety of situations, including when there is a complication that requires induction when the pregnant woman is in or after term. The procedure is used with the baby in a head down position and there are no problems with the placenta (such as placenta previa). This method of labor induction can be used alone or in combination with other induction techniques.
The use of a Foley balloon catheter is effective in inducing labor. Within 24 hours of insertion of a Foley catheter, the cervix dilates and induces labor contractions. The success rate for using a Foley catheter for induction is approximately 70%.
The use of a Foley catheter for induction of labor is relatively safe for the baby. Its use does not affect the child’s heart rate and does not cause unnecessary anxiety.
Urological catheters – complications
The inserted urinary catheter becomes an integral part of the patient’s body, so you should take care of hygiene when putting on, emptying the bag or removing it. In most cases, after insertion of the urinary catheter, patients experience pain or burning in the urethra and a feeling of urgency to urinate. These problems should disappear after some time. However, insertion of a urinary catheter may be associated with complications.
The most common are urinary tract infections, inflammation of the epididymis, prostate gland and kidneys, the presence of blood in the urine, the formation of hypertrophy causing narrowing of the urethra, the formation of the so-called urethral erosion; and peri-urethral abscesses.
Symptoms of a urinary tract infection can include:
- fever,
- chills,
- Headache,
- cloudy urine
- burning sensation in the urethra or genital area
- leakage of urine from the catheter,
- blood in urine
- spine pain.
Other complications associated with using a urinary catheter include:
- an allergic reaction to the material used in the catheter, such as latex
- bladder stones,
- blood in urine
- damage to the urethra,
- kidney damage (with long-term catheters),
- sepsis or infection of the urinary tract, kidneys or blood.
The hygiene of the urinary tract and intimate places is very important, the old catheter should be replaced with a new one once a week and the doctor should be informed about any ailment that may be caused by the urological catheter.