Catheter Supplies

Urinary catheter supplies consist of a tube system inserted into the body to drain urine. Catheters are typically used after surgery or because of an illness or condition that does not allow one to get rid of urine naturally. Therefore a device is necessary to drain and collect the urine. These devices are called catheters. There are male and female catheters, and several kinds of catheters to use based on specific needs and functions.
There are three main kinds of catheters: intermittent catheters, condom catheters, and indwelling catheters. They all serve the same purpose of draining the body of urine.
Intermittent catheters are used, as the word suggests, intermittently, or on a short-term basis. The reason using an intermittent catheter is to completely empty and drain the bladder of urine to prevent any kind of urinary tract infections, bladder or kidney damage.
Indwelling catheters are inserted either through the urethra or directly into your bladder from the stomach, which is done through surgery. Either way, indwelling catheters are left in the bladder for short or long periods of time depending on the individuals circumstances.
Condom catheters, also known as external catheters, are like condoms in that they are placed over the penis to drain the urine directly to a drainage bag. This kind of catheter does not involve a tube system being inserted into the body, rather is external and requires replacement on a daily basis.
As mentioned before, all catheters require drainage bags to collect the urine. This is another supply of any kind of catheter system. Typically there are two kinds of drainage bags: a leg bag and a down drain bag. A leg bag is meant to be worn around the lower leg underneath pants and provides the convenience of being and public and utilizing a catheter system. On the other hand, the down drain bag is typically used at night while sleeping and holds much more urine than the leg bag.

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A Coude catheter has a specific characteristic that separates it from all other types of catheters. It is based on the meaning of the French word "coude" which when used as an adjective means "bent". Thus the Coude catheter is one where the tip of the catheter is slightly bent or curved to a small degree.

The primary function of a Coude catheter is to make the catheter insertion as safe as possible. It allows for safe guidance of the catheter around the curvature of the prostate or other urinary objects for females, which these types of Coude catheters can have an olive shape at the end. The Coude tip can protect you from problems that can arise from catheterization such as scarring and damage. A Coude catheter is the alternative catheter choice for those who aren't able to use a straight catheter.

Coude tip catheters come in sized 6 French to size 26 French. French is how catheter diameter is measured. Depending on the manufacturer and what you need, you will need to consult with your doctor to determine the correct size.

It is important to note that if one cannot pass a Coude catheter through the urinary tract, there are other measures that can be taken by an urologist, such as inserting a cystoscopy or guides and followers through the urinary passage. This should be last resort.

Keep reading this lens to learn more about the coude catheter