Catheterization why is it used

Urinary catheters come in many sizes and types. They can be made of:. The pressure can lead to kidney failure , which can be dangerous and result in permanent damage to the kidneys. Most catheters are necessary until you regain the ability to urinate on your own, which is usually a short period of time. Elderly people and those with a permanent injury or severe illness may need to use urinary catheters for a much longer time or permanently.

There are three main types of catheters: indwelling catheters, external catheters, and short-term catheters. An indwelling catheter is a catheter that resides in the bladder. It may also be known as a Foley catheter. This type can be useful for short and long periods of time. A nurse usually inserts an indwelling catheter into the bladder through the urethra. Sometimes, a healthcare provider will insert the catheter into the bladder through a tiny hole in the abdomen.

This type of indwelling catheter is known as a suprapubic catheter. A tiny balloon at the end of the catheter is inflated with water to prevent the tube from sliding out of the body.

The balloon can then deflate when the catheter needs to be removed. A condom catheter is a catheter placed outside the body. A device that looks like a condom covers the penis head.

A tube leads from the condom device to a drainage bag. These catheters are generally more comfortable and carry a lower risk of infection than indwelling catheters.

Condom catheters usually need to be changed daily, but some brands are designed for longer use. These can cause less skin irritation than condom catheters that require daily removal and reapplication.

A wound, ostomy , and continence nurse WOCN can help make these recommendations. A person may only need a catheter for a short period of time after surgery until the bladder empties. Once a person has emptied their bladder, they need to remove the catheter. It is necessary to remove the old catheter and insert a new one several times per day to empty the bladder. Urinary tract infections UTIs are a common potential side effect of using an intermittent catheter.

The risk of developing a UTI increases with longer-term use of the catheter. According to Dr. Tomas L. Griebling , a professor of urology at the University of Kansas, intermittent catheters are less likely to cause infections than indwelling catheters. An indwelling catheter is similar to an intermittent catheter but remains in place for a period of days or weeks. One end of the indwelling catheter has a deflated balloon attached.

A healthcare provider will insert this end into the bladder and then inflate the balloon with sterile water to hold the catheter in place. Indwelling catheters typically drain into a collection bag. A person can strap the bag to the inner thigh or attach it to a stand in a position lower than the bladder. It is important to empty a drainage bag before it becomes full. For most people, this will mean emptying the bag every 2—4 hours.

A person should also attach a clean, unused drainage bag twice per day and attach a larger bag at night. Some indwelling catheters use a valve instead of a bag. Keeping the valve closed allows the bladder to fill up.

A person can then open the valve to empty their bladder and drain the urine out into a receptacle. Some people find this more convenient than using a drainage bag. Many people find suprapubic catheters more comfortable than urethral catheters. They are also less likely to cause an infection than a urethral catheter. It is quite common for people with indwelling catheters to experience bladder spasms.

This occurs when the bladder attempts to pass out the balloon section of the catheter. A doctor may prescribe medications to reduce the frequency and intensity of these spasms. People with an indwelling catheter may notice debris in the catheter tube. Though normal, these mineral deposits can sometimes block the catheter and prevent drainage. It is essential for a person to notify a healthcare provider immediately if their catheter becomes blocked, or if they are passing blood clots or large pieces of debris.

Long-term use of the indwelling catheter can cause pain and discomfort. It is important to discuss this with a doctor, who will be able to provide or advise on appropriate pain relief. Some males have the option of using an external catheter. This is a condom-like device that fits over the penis.

Tell your doctor if you have heart valve disease. Tell your doctor if you have a pacemaker or any other implanted cardiac devices. You may get a sedative before the procedure to help you relax.

If a sedative is used, you will need someone to drive you home afterward. Based on your medical condition, your doctor may request other specific preparations. What happens during a cardiac catheterization? Generally, a cardiac cath follows this process: You'll remove any jewelry or other objects that may interfere with the procedure.

You may wear your dentures or hearing aids if you use either of these. Before the procedure, you should empty your bladder then change into a hospital gown. A healthcare professional may shave the area where the catheter will be put in. The catheter is most often put in at the groin area, but other places used are the wrist, inside the elbow, or the neck. A healthcare professional will start an intravenous IV line in your hand or arm before the procedure to inject the dye and to give you IV fluids, if needed.

You will lie on your back on the procedure table. You will be connected to an ECG monitor that records the electrical activity of your heart and monitors your heart during the procedure using small electrodes that stick to your skin. Your vital signs heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and oxygen level will be monitored during the procedure. Several monitor screens in the room will show your vital signs, the images of the catheter being moved through your body into your heart, and the structures of your heart as the dye is injected.

You will get a sedative in your IV before the procedure to help you relax. But you will likely be awake during the procedure. Your pulses below the catheter insertion site will be checked and marked so that the circulation to the limb can be checked after the procedure.

Your doctor will inject a local anesthetic numbing medicine into the skin where the catheter will be put in. You may feel some stinging at the site for a few seconds after the local anesthetic is injected. Once the local anesthetic has taken effect, your doctor inserts a sheath, or introducer into the blood vessel. This is a plastic tube through which the catheter is thread into the blood vessel and advanced into the heart.

If the arm is used, your doctor may make a small incision cut to expose the blood vessel and put in the sheath. Your doctor will advance the catheter through the aorta to the left side of the heart.

He or she may ask you to hold your breath, cough, or move your head a bit to get clear views and advance the catheter. You may be able to watch this process on a computer screen. Once the catheter is in place, your doctor will inject contrast dye to visualize the heart and the coronary arteries. You may feel some effects when the contrast dye is injected into the catheter. These effects may include a flushing sensation, a salty or metallic taste in the mouth, nausea, or a brief headache.

These effects usually last for only a few moments. Tell the doctor if you feel any breathing difficulties, sweating, numbness, nausea or vomiting, chills, itching, or heart palpitations. After the contrast dye is injected, a series of rapid X-ray images of the heart and coronary arteries will be made.

You may be asked to take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds during this time. Once the procedure is done, your doctor will remove the catheter and close the insertion site. He or she may close it using either collagen to seal the opening in the artery, sutures, a clip to bind the artery together, or by holding pressure over the area to keep the blood vessel from bleeding.

Your doctor will decide which method is best for you. If a closure device is used, a sterile dressing will be out over the site. If manual pressure is used, the doctor or an assistant will hold pressure on the site so that a clot will form. Once the bleeding has stopped, a very tight bandage will be placed on the site.

The staff will help you slide from the table onto a stretcher so that you can be taken to the recovery area. NOTE: If the catheter was placed in your groin, you will not be allowed to bend your leg for several hours. If the insertion site was in your arm, your arm will be elevated on pillows and kept straight by placing it in an arm guard a plastic arm board designed to immobilize the elbow joint. In addition, a tight plastic band may be put around your arm near the insertion site.

The band will be loosened over time and removed before you go home. What happens after cardiac catheterization? In the hospital After the cardiac cath, you may be taken to a recovery room or returned to your hospital room. Drink plenty of water and other fluids to help flush the contrast dye from your body.