What it means
A thin, soft tube that stays in the bladderBLAD-erThe hollow, stretchy organ in the lower belly that stores urine until it leaves the body.cyst/o bladder (as in cystitis)Full entry , held there by a small balloon filled with sterile water. Urine drains through it into a closed bag. It is used when a client cannot empty the bladder, needs exact measurement of urine output, or around some surgeries. It is often called a Foley catheter. Every day it is in raises the risk of a urinary tract infectionYUR-ih-nair-ee TRAKT in-FEK-shunAn infection anywhere in the urinary tract: the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra.Full entry (catheter-associated UTI, or CAUTI).
For the nurse
Insert it with sterile technique and only when there is a good reason; ask every day whether it is still needed. Keep the bag below the level of the bladder and off the floor, keep the tubing free of kinks, and clean around the catheter with soap and water during daily care.
In a chart
"16 Fr indwelling urinary catheter inserted with sterile technique; 400 mL clear yellow urine returned."
At a glance
| Abbreviations | IUC; CAUTI (catheter-associated urinary tract infection) |
|---|---|
| Spanish | sonda vesical permanente |
| Also written | indwelling catheter, indwelling catheters, Foley, Foley catheter, Foley catheters, indwelling Foley catheter, retention catheter, IUC |
Related terms
urinary tract infection
An infection anywhere in the urinary tract: the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra.
urinary retention
Being unable to empty the bladder completely, or at all.
catheter
A thin, flexible tube put into the body to drain fluid out or to put fluid or drugs in.
bladder
The hollow, stretchy organ in the lower belly that stores urine until it leaves the body.
urethra
The tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body.