The urinary catheter is one of the most common invasive devices used in health care. From
12% to 16% of acute-care inpatients have an indwelling urethral catheter inserted at some
time during hospitalization, including 100% of patients undergoing selected surgical
procedures and most patients admitted to critical care units. 1, 2 A chronic indwelling
catheter is present in about 5% of residents of long-term care facilities. 3 Intermittent
catheterization is widely used for bladder emptying by individuals with spinal cord injury and …