Intermittent Catheters are a medical device used to empty the bladder of a patient who cannot do so on their own. These sterile catheters are made for a single use, to be used, taken out and then discarded once voiding is complete. The intermittent catheters with a coude tip will typically be 16” long and have varying French Sizes (diameter of the catheter). The funnel end of the catheter will indicate the French size and attaches to tubing for a drainage bag or is where the urine flows out into a toilet or collection item. The opposite end is the catheter tip which aids in insertion and is the first part that enters the urethra. Shortly after the tip are drainage eyelets, which is how the urine drains from the bladder. Intermittent catheters can be made of red rubber, silicone, plastic, Vinyl, latex, and latex free. If your catheter is not pre-lubricated or hydrophilic, it is recommended that you apply lubricant 360 degrees around the catheter, before insertion. The design has improved dramatically since their creation, reducing the risk of UTI's and reducing pain and discomfort in the catheterization process. One of the most notable improvements that reduces pain and discomfort in catheterizing are fire-polished eyelets, meaning the eyelets below the tip of the catheter are smooth, polished and slightly recessed, resulting in reduced friction and a reduced chance of irritation. They will make the insertion process more comfortable, but the real benefit comes in the removal of the catheter when the lubrication is less effective.

This is an intermittent catheter with a curved tip. The angle of the tip allows for male patients to snake around strictures or pass an enlarged prostate. There are several types of Coude tip styles, including olive tip (a more bulbous tip), a Tiemann tip (this has an exaggerated angle) or standard Coude tip with a round ending at a basic curved angle.

These intermittent catheters have a coating on the outside of the product that reacts with water and becomes very slick for insertion. Often times this product will come with a water sachet or packet and will need to be broken before opening the package. Once the packet is broken, it is recommended to “see-saw” the package back and forth to fully lubricate the catheter. Other hydrophilic catheters will come pre-lubricated, meaning they are ready for insertion upon opening the package. Some pre-lubricated catheters are non-hydrophilic but are covered in a gel like, sterile lubricant that is ready-to-use upon opening.

These intermittent catheters are about the size of a cosmetic item, are pre-lubricated, and ready-to-use. The main compact catheter for males is the Coloplast Speedicath. This product comes in a small size but pulls out, similar to a telescope, to the normal male catheter 16" length so that it can reach and effectively drain the bladder.The Pocket Intermittent Catheters are packaged in a U-shape so that they can easily fit into your pocket or bag. They are usually 16" in length.

Catheterization insertion kits or catheter insertion trays provide everything to conduct a catheter insertion in one convenient, sterile compact container. These kits are available with or without an intermittent catheter, so that you can have more flexibility in your choice. A typical intermittent catheter insertion kit includes; an Underpad, Exam Gloves, Collection Bag, Swab Sticks and/or other Sterilization Wipes, and Lubricating Jelly. Some kits and trays can include an intermittent catheter, a fenestrated drape, a specimen container, gauze, and a tray. The trays come standard in every insertion tray.

Closed System Intermittent Catheters allows you to maintain a sterile field throughout the process of intermittent catheterization reducing the risk of urinary tract infections (UTI’s). The closed system catheters have an added benefit of improving the ease of the self catheterization process by offering a convenient, discreet, secure and reliable catheterization regardless of where you are. The closed systems feature either a pre-lubricated straight or coude catheter tip with an integrated collection bag. Some of the closed systems feature an ‘introducer tip’ that allows the catheter to skip through the first millimeter of the urethra, where most of the bacteria is found, therefore, reducing the risk of an infection even more. They are available in a kit configuration as well, which will typically include a closed system catheter, gloves, an underpad, sterile wipes and/or swabsticks, and an underpad.

External Catheters, also called Condom or Texas catheters, are usually used for patients who have incontinence. These catheters resemble a condom and are applied in a similar fashion. The tip of the catheter is connected to a tube that connects to either a drain bag or a leg bag for the urine to drain and be collected. These are typically made out of either latex or silicone. The biggest decision for you is choosing between self-adhering catheter or one with an adhesive strip. The self-adhering catheter features adhesive on the sheath of the catheter, so once you put it on and roll it down, it will stay in place without any extra steps. The catheter with the adhesive strip is smooth on the inside, has no adhesive on the sheath, and comes with an adhesive or Velcro strip that must be wrapped around the base to hold the catheter in place.

Foley Catheters or Indwelling catheters are used for long term use, unlike intermittent catheters, they stay in the bladder for an extended period of time and continuously drains the bladder, usually into a leg bag or drain bag. Once inserted into the bladder, there is a balloon that needs to be inflated to keep the catheter in place. This balloon typically ranges in size from 5 cc to 30 cc, which is inflated using a syringe full of water. There are, typically, two way and three-way Foleys and they come with either a straight tip or a coude tip. In the two-way Foleys, one passage is used for drainage and the other is used for inflation of the balloon. In the three-way Foleys, there is an extra port for irrigation, most commonly to wash out bloods and clots. Note: you can irrigate using a two-way foley catheter, the passage for drainage will be your irrigation passage as well.