Irrigation and drainage properties of three-way urethral catheters

To evaluate in an in vitro study the irrigation and drainage capabilities of a variety of available catheters. Three-way Foley catheters are used when irrigation of the bladder is anticipated to prevent or manage blood clots in the bladder.

Six operators applied maximal one-handed pressure irrigation with a catheter-tip syringe through the irrigation and drainage ports of the Bardex and Dover three-way catheters (16F to 26F). Maximal manual irrigation flow was recorded using a flowmeter. Continuous gravity irrigation and drainage flows were measured by suspending a 2-L irrigation bag 80 cm above the catheters and fastening an artificial bladder to the drainage tip of each Foley catheter with the catheter balloon inflated to 30 mL.

The Bardex 22F and 24F catheters had superior manual irrigation using the irrigation port (maximal urinary flow rate 8.9 +/- 1.3 mL/s and 9.5 +/- 1.5 mL/s, respectively, P < 0.000001) compared with the Dover 22F and 24F catheters. The Bardex and Dover 22F catheters (maximal urinary flow rate 29.0 +/- 1.9 mL/s and 29.3 +/- 1.9 mL/s, respectively, P = 0.66) and 24F catheters (maximal urinary flow rate 30.5 +/- 2.0 mL/s and 30.6 +/- 1.2 mL/s, respectively, P = 0.83) performed equally in manual irrigation using the drainage port. The Bardex 22F (average flow rate 1.6 +/- 0.1 mL/s, P < 0.00001) and 24F (average flow rate 1.7 +/- 0.0 mL/s, P < 0.000001) catheters exhibited better continuous irrigation and flow than the Dover 22F and 24F catheters.

Three-way catheters are placed in situations in which efficient bladder irrigation is essential for patient safety. The Bardex 22F to 26F catheters optimized continuous bladder irrigation of the catheters tested.