06 March 2020

Over one million indwelling urinary catheters are inserted every year in the UK; this equates to between 12 and 24% of hospital patients having an indwelling catheter at some point during their inpatient stay (Feneley et al, 2015).

The use of indwelling urinary catheters in the care sector can be higher (Royal College of Physicians, 2004; Loveday et al, 2015).

Nurses should be familiar with best practice and understand the advantages and disadvantages of using indwelling urinary catheters in the urethral and suprapubic sites.

21 March 2022

Indwelling urinary catheters remain one of the most used clinically invasive devices in the UK, with approximately 90,000 people living in community settings in England currently using long-term urinary catheters. Use of a catheter valve system may improve the chance of normal bladder function resuming following the removal of the catheter. This article explores some of the clinical evidence supporting the use of catheter valves and advice on best practice.

26 September 2025

Indwelling urinary catheters are commonly inserted in hospital and an estimated 90 000 people living in the community have indwelling urinary catheters. One complication of urethral catheterisation is meatal pressure injury, also known as iatrogenic hypospadias. Both men and women can suffer a meatal pressure injury, but this article examines why these develop in men and how to prevent, recognise and manage these injuries.
 

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08 August 2024

Intermittent catheterisation is considered the gold standard for urine drainage (Holroyd, 2018). It can be used as treatment for voiding problems due to disturbances or injuries to the nervous system, non-neurogenic bladder dysfunction, or intravesical obstruction with incomplete bladder emptying (Royal College of Nursing [RCN], 2018). Irrespective of the underlying cause, patients with voiding problems frequently find themselves having to make use of a catheter to drain their bladder when it fills and thereby undertake regular intermittent self-catheterisation (ISC). Intermittent catheterisation involves the introduction of a catheter into the bladder and its immediate removal when drainage stops, a process which needs to be repeated four to six times a day (Holroyd, 2018). The experience of performing ISC, while straightforward for some, can be both difficult and painful for others (Guinet-Lacoste et al, 2016; Rognoni and Tarricone, 2017).

27 July 2020

Indwelling urinary catheters remain one of the most commonly used clinically invasive devices across the NHS and social care in the UK. The problems associated with the prolonged use of catheters are widely referenced. Healthcare-acquired infections (HCAIs) currently result in 5,000 preventable deaths a year, with 20% of all HCAIs associated with the urinary tract. Many staff have learned catheterisation techniques in their early careers, with no need for a formal review of skills and knowledge. This has perhaps contributed to some historical and now outdated tasks still being performed. The evidence for best practice when managing indwelling catheters is reflected in national and international guidelines, which have recently undergone a complete overhaul. This article explores common practices and best practice evidence to assist with safe and effective management of these essential but often risky devices.

05 March 2020

If a patient cannot empty their bladder completely, intermittent self-catheterisation (ISC) may be an acceptable treatment option.

Learning ISC can be daunting for patients and unless taught properly and the patient is given time to learn at their own pace, compliance may be a problem (Logan et al, 2008).

There are a huge variety of catheters available for ISC and each patient should be assessed individually to find out which option best suits their needs.

09 July 2025

Intermittent urethral catheters for chronic incomplete bladder emptying in adults: late-stage assessment, the latest health technology evaluation from NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), is published today, 9 July 2025.

31 January 2020

Catheters have been around for thousands of years, but the basic principles have not changed, so here we ask - Is it time to take a fresh look at catheter care and could we do better?