[Using a bladder catheter]

The procedure to drain a bladder consists in inserting a catheter through the urethral passage all the way to the bladder in order to open up a drainage way to the exterior, whether this drainage is temporary or permanent. This procedure is indicated in cases which require a strict control of diuresis, blood letting, or bladder surgery for sample gathering, to open up a passage to drain a bladder in cases of urinary retention, and catheterization for diagnostic purposes. This invasive procedure occurs frequently in hospitals, having a 10 to 15% incidence rate and is defined as the most prevalent cause of hospital infections. To practice the protocol to insert and maintain a bladder catheterization is essential to prevent complications and to reduce to the maximum the risk of infection in the urinary tract as a consequence of a bladder catheterization.