Foley Catheter Balloon Rupture and Risk of Free Fragment Formation

To assess the volume of foley catheter balloon rupture and the incidence of free fragment formation.

Forty Latex and 30 Silicone catheters of common sizes (14-20 French) were inflated with sterile water in an aqueous environment without positive pressure. Catheters producing fragments, fragment size, and maximum instilled volume prior to rupture ("burst volume") were recorded. A subset of catheters was inflated to recommended balloon volume and the balloon was needle punctured.

Of the 40 latex catheters, 32 (80%) produced a free fragment during spontaneous rupture. Fragments ranged from 2.1 to 3.2 cm with an average size of 2.74 ± 0.33 cm. Latex catheters had average burst volume of 83 mL, 90 mL, 112 mL,120 mL, and 422 mL for 14 Fr, 16 Fr, 18 Fr, 16 Fr 3-way, and 20 Fr 30 cc, respectively. Of the 30 silicone catheters, spontaneous rupture produced no fragments. Average burst volume for silicone catheters was 57 mL, 45 mL, and 55 mL for 14 Fr, 16 Fr, and 18 Fr, respectively. No catheter balloons produced fragments when needle punctures at recommended balloon volumes.

Latex catheter balloons tolerate higher fill volumes but have a high likelihood of releasing fragments. Silicone catheters burst at lower volumes, but do not release fragments. At normal fill volumes, needle puncture is safe, and cystoscopy is likely unnecessary.