FOLEYS CATHETER:

Equipment
● Urinary catheter insertion kit, forceps, and Betadine.
● A Foley catheter kit typically includes a latex or nonlatex catheter of appropriately
chosen size and contour, a drainage bag and connecting tube, sterile lubricant,
antiseptic solution, sterile cotton balls, sterile 5-10 ml syringe filled with appropriate
amount of sterile water, and sterile gloves and drapes.

Procedure

Instructions for female urethral Catheterization from the Society of Urological Nurses and
Associates include the following:

1. Place patient in supine position with legs spread in stirrup position

2. Perform thorough hand hygiene
3. Using sterile technique, drape urethra
4. Clean urethral opening with antiseptic (Betadine used here) while maintaining
aseptic technique
5. Lubricate catheter
6. Advance catheter until urine appears
7. Inflate balloon with syringe included in kit (usually 10 ml)
8. Secure indwelling catheter

- FOLEY CATHETER IS A FLEXIBLE TUBE - PASSED THROUGH URETHRA INTO

URINARY BLADDER TO DRAIN URINE .
- MOST COMMON TYPE OF INDWELLING CATHETER.
BALLOON INFLATED WITH STERILE WATER TO STOP IT FROM SLIPPING OUT
.
Two lumens - one two openings collect and drain urine in to bag
Other has a valve to inflate a balloon.
Made of silicon or coated natural latex.

Uses : comatose patients

Acute urinary retention
Urethral surgeries ,
Urethrectomy
Genital injury .

- Also used to ripen the cervix during induction of labor - purpose - procedure called as
extra amniotic saline infusion
- n this procedure, the balloon is inserted behind the cervical wall and inflated, for
example with 30-80 mL of saline.
- The remaining length of the catheter is pulled slightly taut and taped to the inside of the
woman's leg.
- The inflated balloon applies pressure to the cervix as the baby's head would prior to
labor, causing it to dilate. As the cervix dilates over time, the catheter is readjusted to
again be slightly taut and retaped to maintain pressure.
- When the cervix has dilated sufficiently, the catheter drops out.

- Contraindications
- Indwelling urinary catheters should not be used to monitor stable people who are able to
urinate or for the convenience of the patient or hospital staff. Urethral trauma is the only
absolute contraindication to placement of a urinary catheter. Examination findings such as
blood at the urethral meatus, or a high riding prostate necessitate a retrograde Urethrogram
prior to insertion.
-

Adverse effects
There are several risks in using a Foley catheter (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 Foley catheter must be discarded and replaced.
● The urethra begins to bleed. The healthcare provider monitors the bleeding.
● Catheterizations 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 Foley catheter 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 occurs.
● 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).