Fundamental principles of indwelling urinary catheter selection

Catheter selection is a skilled element of continence care, particularly when the catheter is intended to remain in situ for prolonged periods. It is important to choose carefully, referring to catheter length, material, Charrière size and balloon infill volume, any of which may--if not attended to correctly--cause problems. This article gives some advice on catheter selection and outlines what may occur if certain issues are dealt with incorrectly.