All catheterised bladders become colonised with bacteria within 24 hours. This is not an infection and is very poorly understood by clinicians. Whilst the presence of a catheter does increase the incidence of bloodstream infections secondary to a urinary origin, there is a huge amount of unnecessary, and likely harmful, antimicrobial prescribing on the basis of detection of asymptomatic bacteriuria. The industry is moving to silver-coated catheters in an attempt to reduce the incidence of urinary tract infections, although there is limited evidence of efficacy. An additional problem is that<unk> s tend to become coated over time with a biofilm that can obstruct the drainage. This increases the amount of stagnant urine left in the bladder, which further contributes to urinary tract infections. When a<unk>  becomes clogged, it must be flushed or replaced. There is currently not enough adequate evidence to conclude whether washouts are beneficial or harmful. There are several risks in using a<unk>  (or catheters generally), including: * The balloon can break as the healthcare provider inserts the catheter. In this case, all balloon fragments must be removed. * The balloon might not inflate after it is in place. In some institutions, the healthcare provider checks the balloon inflation before inserting the catheter into the urethra. If the balloon still does not inflate after placement into the bladder, it is discarded and replaced. * Urine stops flowing into the bag. The healthcare provider checks for correct positioning of the catheter and bag, or for obstruction of urine flow within the catheter tube. * Urine flow is blocked. The<unk>  must be discarded and replaced. * The urethra begins to bleed. The healthcare provider monitors the bleeding. * Catheterization introduces an infection into the bladder. The risk of bladder or urinary tract infection increases with the number of days the catheter is in place. * If the balloon is opened before the<unk>  is completely inserted into the bladder, bleeding, damage and even rupture of the urethra can occur. In some individuals, long-term permanent scarring and strictures of the urethra occur. * Defective catheters may be supplied, which break in situ. The most common fractures occur near the distal end or at the balloon. * Catheters can be pulled out by patients while the balloon is still inflated, leading to major complications or even death. This may occur when patients are mentally impaired (e.g. they have Alzheimer's) or are in a mentally altered state (e.g. they are coming out of surgery).
Foley catheter
Penrose drain
Suprapubic aspiration
Perineal dilator
Urinary catheterization
Suprapubic cystostomy
Ureteric balloon catheter
Macy catheter