With an aging group of Baby Boomers and Medicare acceptance of 200 catheters per month are likely the biggest reasons for the expansion. (Catheters are now indicated by Medicare for single use only, an effort to curb the costly instances of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections).

Brands like Coloplast and their subsidiary Mentor-Coloplast have surged forward with a powerful presence in the Urology market, with products like the MentorSelf-Cath and others providing over 50% of the supply of Urinary Catheters to patients in the United States. Not far behind are Hollister, Bard, Astra Tech, Rochester and Rusch.

The prevalence of urology in our everyday lives has extended out of the health care setting and into our living rooms, with companies advertising urinary catheters (namely, the Medicare catheter policy change).

Many long-term catheter users are also still re-using their catheters by boiling them or cleaning them, a practice that has been encouraged by Medicare and various other entities for many years. It is only two years ago that Medicare changed their policy, so the potential for these companies only grows.

Who would’ve thought such a simple device would become so prevalent in business and in the daily lives of millions of people?

Regardless if an individual chooses to self-cath or is being cathed by a caretaker, good procedures should always be followed to prevent infection. And an individual needing a catheter should have a good understanding of the proper procedures for cathing – so, what can a patient do to protect themselves from improper nursing procedures and prevention of UTIs?
Educate Yourself

• Learn how Catheter-associated infections happen.
• Ask a lot of questions about the hospital’s procedures for catheterization. Understand how their process works, and ask what they do to prevent infections from happening.
• Find out the answers to how long it will be needed, why its necessary, and when it expected to be removed.
• If you don’t understand an answer, keep asking. Or perhaps you’re not asking the right questions – so talk with hospital staff who can lead you to the person who can answer your questions properly. Get family and friends involved if necessary to get the right answers.

Keeping it Clean

• Ensure any visitors, nurses, and doctors all clean their hands with soap and water. All caregivers should wash their hands before touching you, the catheter, or the tubing. Don’t touch, or let anyone else touch, the catheter and tubing without washing their hands first.
• Ensure any catheter inserted into the body is sterile and opened immediately before use.
• If you are told you have a high bacteria count on your skin, clean it with an anti-septic solution.
• Keep a stock of soaps, anti-septics, no-rinse cleansers, gels, lotions, etc. for your own personal use and for nursing care.

Getting Help

• Talk with the nurses or doctors immediately if bandages or equipment get wet or dirty.
• If there is any pain, redness, or soreness around the catheter, let the nurses and doctors know.