Indications for catheterisation and catheter selection

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Assessing urinary incontinence
3. Indications for Catheterisation
   1. Contra-indications to catheterisation
4. Catheter Selection
   1. Intermittent versus Indwellling?
   2. Catheter Size
   3. Balloon Size
   4. Catheter Length
   5. Charrière size
5. Catheter Material
6. Summary
7. References

Contra-indications to catheterisation

There are a number of circumstances under which urinary catheterisation should not be attempted.

Task 6

1

What would you consider to be contra-indications to urinary catheterisation? Enter your answer in the box below and then select Check answer. - Patient has not consented to the procedure - Permission not obtained from medical staff or local policy prevents this - Two failed attempts at catheterisation

Patients are required to give consent to urinary catheterisation and this procedure should not be attempted if consent has not been obtained (RCN, 2008). If patients are agitated or cognitively impaired, catheterisation should be avoided if at all possible as these patients are at risk of pulling the catheter out and causing significant trauma.

There will be a local policy in clinical and care settings and local guidance regarding when people may or may not catheterise should be followed. There is often a misconception that catheterisation should not be undertaken if the patient has:

- Pulled a catheter out

- A bladder tumour

- Prostatic enlargement

- Other physical reasons

These are circumstances that need caution when considering catheterisation and may require a different route or type of catheter to be used, but are not absolute contra-indications.

If any individual has attempted catheterisation twice and failed, help and advice should be sought from a more experienced practitioner.