Managing long term indwelling urinary catheters

### What you need to know Around in 90 000 people in the UK live with a long term catheter (one that has been in place for four weeks or more).1 Use of catheters varies considerably, suggesting differences in how or whether they are used. For example, in a study of more than 4000 people aged over 65 receiving domiciliary care in 11 European countries, long term catheter use ranged from 0% (Netherlands) to 23% (Italy).2 Problems with long term catheters, such as infections or blockage, affect individuals’ lives and healthcare resources, particularly out-of-hours services.3 This article aims to help healthcare professionals address the needs of any person living with or making the decision to have a long term indwelling urinary catheter (examples shown in fig 1). Fig 1 Examples of indwelling catheters Urinary retention and urinary incontinence are the two main indications for long term catheters. An algorithm providing an overview of the process for deciding between a long term indwelling catheter and an alternative management options (box 1), is shown in figure 2.45678 Discussion about urinary problems and management options can involve a range of healthcare professionals, including those in primary, community, or secondary care, physicians, and nurses. Box 1 ### Commonly used non-invasive incontinence managementRETURN TO TEXT