There are three types of catheters used to treat urination retention: Straight, Foley, and Suprapubic (in-dwelling).
Urinary retention can very quickly progress to bladder malfunction, bacterial infection, or back-up causing kidney failure. Temporarily — almost always temporary — you will need to immediately use a catheter to urinate property. If a catheter is indicated, please don’t complain, “…but I do urinate.” The quantity of urine retained in the bladder is the problem. Here are diagrams of the catheters:
- Straight Catheter (single use):
2. Foley Catheter (stays in-place):
3. Suprapubic Catheter (stays in-place avoids urethra and prostate):
The cause of the urinary retention guides the best catheter type. Registered Nurses are the professional experts in teaching catheter use. RNs will instruct you how to properly use a straight catheter. RNs insert/change Foley and Suprapubic catheters.