Indwelling catheters are tubes left in the bladder to drain urine, used for incontinence management, surgery recovery, and urine monitoring. The Foley catheter is the most common type, while suprapubic catheters are inserted through the abdominal wall. Careful care is necessary to avoid infection and other risks.
An indwelling catheter is a tube that is inserted into the bladder and left in place to drain urine. There are a variety of reasons for using this type of catheter, ranging from a desire to measure urine output after surgery to an incontinence management plan. The key difference between an indwelling catheter and other types of urinary catheters is that the catheter must be left in place, rather than being used once to drain urine and then removed.
One of the most common types of indwelling catheters is the Foley catheter, a catheter that has a balloon on one end. After the catheter is inserted, the balloon is inflated with sterile saline so that the device does not slip out of the bladder. Some doctors may choose to use another type called a suprapubic catheter, which is inserted directly through the abdominal wall.
As a general rule, this type of catheter can be left in place for a month. The area around the catheter should be washed daily with mild soap, and the catheter should also be rinsed with a sterile solution to reduce the risk of infection. Patients wear a catheter bag to collect urine draining from the catheter and are usually encouraged to drink plenty of water. The bag is always kept below the level of the catheter so that urine cannot flow into the bladder.
Indwelling catheters are used with people who lack the muscle control necessary to manage their bladders, such as people with severe spinal cord injuries. They are also used to monitor urine output, typically after surgery, and to collect regular urine samples from hospitalized patients, or to drain the bladders of unconscious patients. People with severe incontinence may also choose to wear a catheter for added comfort and to reduce the rubbing and irritation caused by frequent incontinence.
There are some risks and inconveniences involved in wearing an indwelling catheter. It’s not uncommon for people to develop urinary tract infections, although this risk can be reduced with careful care. Men are prone to developing fistulas if the catheter is not worn properly, and some people find catheter management difficult or frustrating. When worn with a leg bag, for example, the indwelling catheter offers additional freedom of movement, but the wearer still needs to be careful with the device, and routine care of the insertion site is required to prevent infection. Some patients also note that extended periods of wear are sometimes associated with a distinctive odor, even with the most careful and painstaking care, and some patients find this embarrassing.
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