Urinary Catheterization
Indications
Indications for urinary catheterization are:
- Intermittent catheterization
- Collection of sterile urine sample.
- Provide relief of discomfort from bladder distention.
- Decompression of the bladder.
- Measure residual urine.
- Management of patients with spinal cord injury, neuromuscular degeneration, or incompetent bladders.
- Short-term indwelling catheterization
- Post surgery and in critically ill patients to monitor urinary output.
- Prevention of urethral obstruction from blood clots with continuous or intermittent bladder irrigations
- Instillation of medication into the bladder.
- Surgical procedures involving pelvic or abdominal surgery repair of the bladder, urethra, and surrounding structures.
- Urinary obstruction (e.g. enlarged prostate), acute urinary retention.
- Long-term indwelling catheterization
- Refractory bladder outlet obstruction and neruogenic bladder with urinary retention.
- Prolonged and chronic urinary retention.
- To promote healing of perineal ulcers where urine may cause further skin breakdown.