A flexible tube, a Foley catheter is inserted in the urethra and is used to drain out urine from the bladder and is one of the most common indwelling catheter types.
The loss of the ability to urinate naturally is one of the most difficult things for a person. Foley Catheters are a type of catheters that helps alleviate a person’s condition in this case. They are inserted into the urethra and extract the urine directly from the bladder. This supplementary urinary system expels the toxins out of the body.
Each one of us has gone through the ordeal of not being able to find a restroom in some point in our lives. Those moments of urgency are very uncomfortable and many a time painful. But for many people around the world urinating naturally becomes an arduous task due to some kind of ailment or complication. There are many reasons why one is forced to use a supplementary urinary system to expel the toxins out of their bodies.
One of the major devices used to get through this difficult time is the Foley catheter. Foley catheter is a thin tube that can easily be inserted into the urethra. The tube has two sections going down its length. One of them is open at both ends and drains urine into a collection bag. The other end has a valve that connects to a balloon at the inside tip. The balloon is inflated with sterile water when it is inside the bladder. This stops the catheter from slipping out. It is made using silicone or coated natural latex.
There are many different complications and ailments that result in the loss of ability to urinate naturally:
Incontinence
Enlarged prostate thus stopping urine flow
Acute urinary retention
Paralysis or physical injuries
Ureterectomy
Hysterectomy
Fibromyalgia
Skin impairment or breakdown
Genital injuries
There are four types of Foley Catheters:
They have a single lumen or section with a small 1.25 inch opening at the end. They have a hydrophillic coating and thus enabling easy lubrication. This in turn reduces pain and discomfort. One of the popular straight tip catheter is Medline Silvertouch Two-Way 100% Silicone Straight Tip Foley Catheter.
A basic Foley catheter with two lumens and a balloon at one end. The strips of these catheters are usually radiopaque thus making them easier to locate while scans. PECO Medical Two-Way 100% Silicone Foley Catheter With 5cc Balloon Capacity is a good example of two-way foley catheter.
Named after the French word for elbow (coude), a coude tip catheter has a slight bend near the tip. They are generally prescribed to patients who have an enlarged prostate. The catheter tip is designed to get past tight spots. Bard Bardex Lubricath Two-Way Carson Model Speciality Foley Catheter With 5cc Balloon Capacity is one of the top selling coude catheter.
The only difference with this catheter tip is that it has a hole on the top so that they can be passed over a wire. One such councill tip catheter is Medtronic Covidien Dover Two-Way Council Tip Silicone Foley Catheter With 5cc Balloon Capacity.
They have an extra lumen to infuse an irrigating solution such as a sterile saline so as to wash away blood clots or stains after a surgery. Rusch Gold Three-Way Silicone Coated Latex Foley Catheter With 30cc Balloon Capacity is a type of triple lumen catheter.
Taking care of the catheter is an important step in ensuring that one does not have any complications or infections. Here are a few things one must keep in mind while taking care of the catheter:
Clean the area where the catheter exits your body
Clean the catheter with soap and water
Drink enough fluids to prevent infections
Wash our hands always before and after handling the catheter
Invented by Fredric Foley, these catheters have made it easy for medical professionals as well as for general public to expel urine from the body without any difficulty. The simple yet effective design and working of the catheter has made it an important part of a lot of urological treatment processes.For more information on choosing the right Foley catheters, please Click Here.
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