Foley catheters are often used for indwelling catheterization, which means that they stay in the bladder for a long time. In order to stay in the bladder, the end of the catheter is a balloon filled with sterile water, which keeps the whole apparatus in place in the bladder. There are many different reasons that doctors choose to use a Foley catheter on patients, including difficulty urinating, fluid management, and urethral blockage.
Putting in and using a Foley catheter is usually considered very safe, and usually doctors assume they have consent to place a catheter in hospitalized patients as needed. There are, however, a few risks that come with using a Foley catheter.
One risk is that the urethra is damaged during the insertion of the catheter. This could happen if the balloon on the end opens before it reaches the bladder. These occurrences are very rare, but they can result in bleeding and permanent scarring. Minor injuries to the urethra are somewhat more common, but these, too, are fairly rare; these injuries usually heal on their own in a short while.
The main risk that comes with the use of a Foley catheter is that of infection. Sometimes, bacteria can travel up the catheter and into the bladder, causing a urinary tract infection. The longer the catheter is left in place, the higher a patient’s risk of contracting a bladder infection. This risk can be lessened, though, by regular cleaning of the catheter and the opening of the urethra.
Besides these, there aren’t many risks to using a Foley catheter. Sometimes one will be faulty and its balloon will fail to open, and every once in a while a balloon will burst, requiring a doctor to remove all the fragments. For the most part, though, these catheters are widely used and considered to be very safe.