A urinary catheter is a flexible tube used to empty the bladder and collect urine in a drainage bag. Urinary catheters are usually inserted by a doctor or nurse. They can either be inserted through the tube that carries urine out of the bladder (urethral catheter) or through a small opening made in your lower tummy (suprapubic catheter). The catheter usually remains in the bladder, allowing urine to flow through it and into a drainage bag. A urinary catheter is usually used when people have difficulty urinating naturally.
It can also be used to empty the bladder before or after surgery and to help perform certain tests. Clients’ with Spinal cord injury nearly always have a catheter. Our staff are trained to empty and change catheters. Our staff can also carry out Bladder wash-outs. A bladder washout is a technique used to flush out the catheter and bladder by introducing a catheter maintenance solution into the bladder through the catheter.