SearchExclusive.com

Essential Things You Need To Know About Urinary Catheters

Essential things you need to know about urinary catheters

A urinary catheter is a hollow tube that is partially flexible and is used for collecting urine from the bladder and directing it towards an attached drainage bag. They are available in different shapes and sizes. Urinary catheters are required for patients who are unable to empty their bladder due to some medical conditions. If the bladder isn’t emptied, then urine can accumulate in the kidneys. If this goes on for a prolonged period, then it can lead to irreversible damage to the kidneys. Fortunately, in most cases, catheters are only used for a short time until the patient regains the ability to urinate by themselves. However, seniors or individuals with serious physical injuries or illnesses may have to use urinary catheters for a long time or permanently.

Keep reading to know more about a urinary catheter, its uses, types, and more.

What can cause urinary complications?
The following medical conditions can affect one’s urinary functions:

Prostate gland surgery
Surgery in the genital area such as hysterectomy or hip fracture
Blocked urine flow which can be a result of kidney or bladder stones, blood clots in the urine, or enlargement of the prostate gland
Injuries to the spinal cord or bladder nerves
Spina bifida or neural tube defect (developmental defect in babies)
Dementia, a mental condition that can impair one’s cognitive functions
Certain types of medications, especially that can affect the bladder muscles’ functions which can restrict the urine movement

When do doctors prescribe urinary catheters?
Urinary catheters are recommended commonly by doctors when

One is suffering from urinary incontinence, i.e., losing control over the bladder
One is dealing with urinary retention

It is also used during childbirth to empty the bladder if the woman is given an epidural anesthetic. Likewise, urinary catheters are used for bladder cancer patients for administering chemotherapy medications directly into the bladder.

What are the different types of urinary catheters?
There are three primary forms of urinary catheters, i.e., external, indwelling, and short-term catheters.

External catheters
Also known as condom catheters, these catheters for men are fixed outside of the body. External catheters are used for men who are suffering from severe mental or functional disabilities like dementia. This type of catheter covers the penis head leading to a drainage bag. As compared to the other catheters, these are more comfortable and exhibit a lower infection risk. Typically, these need to be changed every day; however, some makers have created products that are fit for prolonged use.
Indwelling catheters
This type of catheter is placed inside the bladder and is also referred to as a urethral catheter. An indwelling catheter can be used for both, short and long periods. It can be implanted into the bladder via the urethra. Such tubes are known as suprapubic catheters when they are inserted through a small opening created in the lower abdomen. At the end of the catheter, a small balloon is inflated with water to stop the tube from moving out of the body. These type of bladder catheters require extra care as the possibility of causing an infection is higher.
Intermittent catheters
The intermittent, or short-term, catheters are used when the patient requires help with urinating for a short span a time, which is usually after a surgery. After the bladder is emptied, it is mandatory to remove the catheter. Like an indwelling tube, it can be inserted through the urethra or the lower abdominal hole created for catheterization. Intermittent catheters can be used by patients or caregivers in a domestic setting too.

What are catheters made of?
Every manufacturer uses a different material to make catheters, but the most common materials used are:

Plastic (PVC)
Silicone
Rubber

Which are the best catheter brands?
The following are some popular urinary catheter brands:

Bard
Covidien
Coloplast
Hollister
Medline
MTG
LoFric
Cure Medical
Urocare

Urinary catheters can cost anywhere from around $4 to $500, depending on its type, size, material, and brand.

Tags – urinary catheter, bladder catheter, catheters for men

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.