Urinary catheterization

In urinary catheterization, a catheter, a slender tube, is pushed up a patient's urinary tract into their bladder. The end of the catheter is then usually inflated with saline solution to prevent the catheter from slipping out.

Catherization is often used with patients that do not produce urine, and who need to do so. Common reasons to catherize are infection, swelling, growths, or excessive hydration (retention of water). In some situations, incontinent patients are catheterized to reduce their cost of care, but some caregivers believe that this is usually contraindicated because chronic catherization carries a significant risk of a urinary tract infection.

Catherization is a sterile medical procedure that should only be performed by trained, qualified personnel, using equipment designed for this purpose.

See also life support, medicine