Catheters

A catheter is a flexible tube which is made of latex, silicone or Teflon. It can be inserting into the body to create a path for the passage of fluid or it is the entry device of medicine. During the age of 1950s and 1960s, there was a practice of cutting a suitable length of industrial polyvinyl chloride. It was sterilized with the other surgical equipment. There is a lot of design available in catheter. Now you can use catheter in pulmonary, cardiac, neonatal, central nervous system, and epidural tissues.

The three major types are coronary, renal, and infusion. The first type is used in angiography, ultrasound procedures in the heart or in veins and arteries. The best catheter is Foley catheters. It is commercially available since 1930. It is a flexible tube that goes through the urethra and helps to drain urine. It is retained by means of balloon. The balloon is inflated with sterile water. It has two main sizes, 5cc and 30cc. Its size is expressed in French units, and normally the range of size is from 10f to 28f. 1 f is equivalent to 0.33 mm.

The inserting of catheter requires very careful attention. In the beginning, you put a small blob of lubricant on the tip of penis at the opening area. And lubricate the first three inches of catheter, then start the process of inserting catheter. It is injected slowly and gently into the penis. While doing it, keep twisting the catheter slowly. It depends on the length of penis how much you have to insert in the penis and you are able to insert about 25 cm of catheter.



When the task is done, then you have to remove the catheter. First you have to deflate the balloon and reattach the hypodermic syringe. The balloon exerts pressure whichl causes the syringe to refill. When the process is completed, then withdraw the catheter and wash the penis if it has any lubricant on its tip. In the beginning, when the person under treatment urinates, he feels burning sensation. It is due to the irritation caused by urethra and the problem disappears with in 24 hours.

It is a very sensitive task and it is done very carefully. Small mistake can cause a big problem. You feel strange and uncomfortable because it may be your first experience. It is better if before the catheter insertion; you have some urine in your bladder in order to confirm that the catheter is in place. If you have any doubt, then withdraw the catheter and try it again with a new and fresh catheter and avoid the used catheter once again.

The infection of bladder is occasionally occurred during the process of catheterization. But you can minimize the problem. Always use the sterile catheter while carefully following the written description. The inflection in the bladder becomes obvious within two days of catheterization. So go to a doctor and tell him about the problem you are facing. Antibiotic is the best to use against it.