What are Catheters?
Urinary Catheters are small rubber or
plastic tubes that can be inserted through the
urethra into the bladder.
Urinary catheters are a sure-fire way to empty the
bladder. Both men and women can use catheters.
Paruretics who use catheters perform what is known
as clean-intermittent-catheterization (CIC). That
means the urinary catheters are inserted as needed,
on an intermittent basis. It also means the urinary
catheters don't need to be sterile. They just need
to be thoroughly clean.
The use of urinary catheters to empty the bladder is
easy, quick, discreet, and should not be painful.
There is some risk of infection, especially in
women, but your physician can appropriately deal
with this risk.
UrinaryCatheters are easily carried in a woman's
purse, a man's pants pocket, or carry-on luggage.
They are easily stored in desk drawers and
automobile glove compartments or consoles. Many
users place them within a zip-lock bag, along with a
packet of K-Y Jelly and a disposable hand wipe.
Most urinary catheters must be lubricated with K-Y
jelly before insertion. NEVER use Vaseline or any
lubricant other than K-Y Jelly or an equivalent.
There are urinary catheters that do not need
lubrication. The decision about which type to use is
always a matter of personal choice. Urinary
catheters are available in a number of different
styles, sizes, and materials.
Anyone who decides to try them will need to do some
experimenting to find which kind works best. It is a
very individual choice. Common materials for urinary
catheters are rubber, silicone, PVC plastic, or
Teflon. You may find one material to be more
comfortable than another. Persons with latex allergy
need to avoid rubber urinary catheters.
The inserted end of urinary catheters is
manufactured with different shapes. Some urinary
catheters have a slight bend near the tip. These are
called Coude urinary catheters. Many men prefer the
Coude shape, but one must be careful to keep the
proper orientation of the urinary catheter tip while
inserting it.
While it is possible to obtain urinary catheters and
learn to use urinary catheters without medical
supervision, there are serious risks involved
without proper training and instruction in their
use. IPA strongly advises everyone to get a
physician's approval and instruction in urinary
catheter use before trying them. Once you’ve been
trained, you can safely and confidently use a
catheter if it’s needed to drain your bladder in an
emergency situation, or for providing a urine sample
during a drug test.
We recommend that people who use catheters obtain a
note of authorization from their physician, and keep
this note with them at all times.
There are also external urinary catheters available
that don't need to be inserted into the urethra.
They require that you can control the urinary
muscles in order to drain your bladder. They have a
rubber sleeve that fits over the penis, a collection
bag, and a system of valves and drain tubing to
connect up to the bag. There is a product for women
available from the same company. They can be worn
discreetly and a number of people have reported they
can be useful. For those who can use these devices,
they may be very helpful. If considering this
option, remember that security personnel might give
you a pat-down search for hidden objects and you may
need to explain about the external urinary catheter.
This will be very likely if there are any metal
parts in the catheter or collection bag. |
A
Patient Care Specialist is waiting to help you!
Call us at 1-800-503-7604
|
|
