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Caring For a Urinary Catheter

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10m of CPD
Did you know that urinary catheters are responsible for 80% of hospital-acquired urinary tract infections. Despite being commonly used, urinary catheters are often inserted unnecessarily and managed poorly, contributing to morbidity and prolonged hospital stays. Therefore, in order to minimise the risk of complications such as UTIs, the insertion and maintenance of these devices require significant and thorough care from healthcare professionals.

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What is this article about?

A urinary catheter (also known as an indwelling catheter or long-term catheter) is a hollow, flexible tube inserted through the urethra into the bladder that drains urine into an external collection bag. Generally, urinary catheters are used by patients who are unable to urinate on their own or have impaired mobility. They are essential in avoiding a build-up of urine, which has the potential to cause pressure in the kidneys and lead to kidney failure.

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Ausmed
Editorial Team
Ausmed’s editorial team is committed to providing high-quality, well-researched and reputable education to our users, free of any commercial bias or conflict of interest. All education produced by Ausmed is developed in consultation with healthcare professionals and undergoes a rigorous review process to ensure the relevancy of all healthcare information and updates to changes in practice. If you have identified an issue with the education offered by Ausmed or wish to submit feedback to Ausmed's editorial team, please email ausmed@ausmed.com.au with your concerns.
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What do others think?

1258 reviews by Ausmed Learners
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DF
Dawn Fahey
20 Jan 2022
Informative.
BN
Bronwyn Nightingale
25 May 2020
A great refresher for this topic.
PB
Pamela Boyd
30 Oct 2022
Registered Nurse
Good practical knowledge to assist the health care personnel to care well for the client & avoid infections or trauma to the urethra.
RC
Riley Carlton
29 May 2023
Thank you
SM
Sarah Marlow
26 May 2023
Registered Nurse
Quick but thorough overview. A good refresher.
NL
Nicole Liu
03 Apr 2022
Registered Nurse
.
BL
Beena Limbu
15 Aug 2021
Good
TL
Theresa Lawson
06 Mar 2023
Was good to review
MM
MEGAN MCCARTHY
31 May 2023
Registered Nurse
Good reading material
HV
Haidee VICENTE
24 May 2020
Good module.
4.5 / 5
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