2020 Dec 14. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan–.
ABSTRACT
Urinary bladder catheterization is performed for both therapeutic and diagnostic purposes.. Based on the dwell time, the urinary catheter can be either intermittent (short-term) or indwelling (long-term).
There are three types of urinary catheters based on the approach of insertion.
External catheters adhere to the external genitalia in men or pubic area in women and collect the urine. They are useful for the management of urinary incontinence.
Urethral catheters are inserted through the urethra, with the tip advanced into the base of the bladder.
Suprapubic catheters are inserted into the bladder surgically via a suprapubic approach.
Urethral catheterization is most commonly performed in routine clinical practice and is discussed in this article.