When do you need to use an intermittent catheter?

If a patient is unable to have the natural function of the kidneys and the urinary tract, they are required to fit a catheter in order to perform those functions. Catheters involve a drainage bag which helps to capture the urine discharged by the patient. For patients who are bedridden or who are hospitalized, the bag would drape over the bed. Such a bag can be discarded or emptied once filled or as the need arises. An Intermittent Catheter is a device that needs to be inserted and removed multiple times during the day, and as such is contrasted with a continuously draining Catheter, which causes the patient to become immobile, as the device is a stationary device.

What is a Catheter?

A catheter is basically a plastic tube that needs to be inserted through the urinary channel, also known as the urethra and directly through to the bladder. With the help of an intermittent catheter, the bladder can be emptied easily, and the urinary passage cleared on a regular basis.

The time period between insertion of the catheter and the removal of the same is dependent on the amount of water that is consumed in that interval. The important thing to keep in mind is to not fill the bladder to the maximum capacity, and to pace the intake of liquids. With an intermittent catheter, the insertion and removal can be done by the patient only, as compared to a continuously draining catheter, which needs to be inserted by trained professionals.

What is the advantage of an intermittent catheter?
By using an intermittent catheter, the patient can easily have a mimicked natural feeling of the bladder being full and emptying. Being an intermittent catheter, the catheter is not permanently lodged in the urinary tract and so is very comfortable for the patients to constantly use. This decreases the risk of infection.

What are the disadvantages of using an intermittent catheter?
One must manage fluid intake over a period of time, limiting consumption of alcohol and caffeine which lead to an increase in the production of urine. In order to perform the insertion process, one must have the use of their hands, and so it requires a bit of manual work. At the start, each insertion will take up a bit of time as the process needs some time to get used to, but in the process of time, the speed of insertion will increase.

Depending on whether the patient is male or female, there are different intermittent catheters for both sexes due to biological reasons. These catheters are available as non-coated and coated, which differ with the lubrication needed for insertion.

If you are looking for a trusted medical supply store in Toronto to procure these catheters, you can do a search on the internet and find a single store and stick with them, because the regimented use of catheters is very important to maintain bladder function.

This is a guest blog entry.