CATHETER

INVENTORS

The modern application of the catheter was in use at least by 1868 when Dr. N.B.Sornborger patented

the Syringe and Catheter (patent #73402) with features for fastening it to the body and controlling the

depth of insertion.

David S. Sheridan was the inventor of the modern disposable catheter in the 1940s. In his lifetime he

started and sold four catheter companies and was dubbed the "Catheter King" byForbes Magazine in

1988. He is also credited with the invention of the modern "disposable" plastic endotracheal tube now

used routinely in surgery. Prior to his invention, red rubber tubes were used, sterilized, and then re-used

which often led to the spread of disease and also held a high risk of infection. As a result Mr Sheridan is

credited with saving thousands of lives.

In the early 1900s, a Dubliner named Walsh and a famous Scottish urinologist called Norman Gibbon

teamed together to create the standard catheter used in hospitals today. Named after the two creators,

it was called the Gibbon-Walsh catheter. The Gibbon and the Walsh catheters have been described and

their advantages over other catheters shown. The Walsh catheter is particularly useful

after prostatectomy for it drains the bladder without infection or clot retention. The Gibbon catheter

has largely obviated the necessity of performing emergency prostatectomy. It is also very useful in cases

of urethral fistula. A simple procedure such as dilatation of the urethra and passage of a Gibbon catheter

often causes the fistula to close. This catheter is also of use in the treatment of urethral stricture and, as

a temporary measure, in the treatment of retention of urine caused by carcinoma of the prostate

Benjamin Franklin invented a flexible catheter for his brother who had a bladder stone

CATHETER

In medicine, a catheter is a tube that can be inserted into a body cavity, duct, or vessel, thereby allowing drainage, administration of fluids or gases, or access by surgical instruments. The process of inserting a catheter is catheterization. In can either be a thin, flexible tube-soft catheter or a larger, solid tube- hard catheter. A catheter left inside the body, either temporarily or permanently, may be referred to as an indwelling catheter. A permanently inserted catheter may be referred to as a permcath. Catheters come in many shapes and sizes. They can provide life-sustaining bodily functions and help doctors diagnose health problems. Medical conditions and specific areas of the body influence the types of catheters used.

MATERIALS

A range of polymers are used for the construction of catheters, including silicone rubber, latex, and thermoplastic elastomers. Silicone is one of the most common choices because it is inert and unreactive to body fluids and a range of medical fluids with which it might come into contact. On the other hand, the polymer is weak mechanically, and a number of serious fractures have occurred in catheters For example, silicone is used in Foley catheters where fractures have been reported, often requiring surgery to remove the tip left in the bladder.

USES

Placement of a catheter into a particular part of the body may allow:

draining urine from the urinary bladder as in urinary catheterization, e.g., the Foley catheter or even

when the urethra is damaged as in suprapubic catheterisation.

drainage of urine from the kidney by percutaneous nephrostomy[1]

drainage of fluid collections, e.g. an abdominal abscess

administration of intravenous fluids, medication or parenteral nutrition with a peripheral venous

catheter

angioplasty, angiography, balloon septostomy, balloon sinuplasty, cardiac electrophysiology

testing, catheter ablation. Often the Seldinger technique is used.

direct measurement of blood pressure in an artery or vein

direct measurement of intracranial pressure

administration of anaesthetic medication into the epidural space, the subarachnoid space, or

around a major nerve bundle such as the brachial plexus

administration of oxygen, volatile anesthetic agents, and other breathing gases into the lungs using

a tracheal tube

subcutaneous administration of insulin or other medications, with the use of an infusion

set and insulin pump

A central venous catheter is a conduit for giving drugs or fluids into a large-bore catheter positioned

either in a vein near the heart or just inside the atrium.

A Swan-Ganz catheter is a special type of catheter placed into the pulmonary artery for measuring

pressures in the heart.

An embryo transfer catheter is designed to insert fertilized embryos from in vitro fertilization into

the uterus. They may vary in length from approximately 150 mm to 190 mm.

An umbilical line is a catheter used in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) providing quick access to

the central circulation of premature infants.

A Touhy borst adapter is a medical device used for attaching catheters to various other devices.

A Quinton catheter is a double or triple lumen, external catheter used for hemodialysis.

An intrauterine catheter, such as a device known as a 'tom cat', may be used to insert specially

'washed' sperm directly into the uterus in artificial insemination. A physician is required to

administer this procedure.

TYPES OF CATHETERS

1. Urinary catheters help to assist the body by draining urine from the bladder. The doctor may recommend a urinary catheter as either short-term or long-term use for conditions such as urinary incontinence, urinary retention and for people with disorders including multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries or dementia. Specific surgeries such as prostate or gynecological

surgery, often warrant the use of a urinary catheter. The catheter is inserted through the urethra---the tube that carries the urine out of the bladder to the outside of the body, and advances it into the bladder until urine appears in the catheter. An indwelling catheter remains intact inside the bladder with an inflated balloon and continually drains urine. An intermittent catheter is placed in the same way as an indwelling catheter, but it gets removed after the urine has stopped flowing.

2. The doctor uses a long, narrow tube for a procedure called cardiac catheterization and inserts a plastic hollow tube into a blood vessel in an arm or leg; he then advances the catheter through the tube. A special X-ray machine guides the catheter through the blood vessels into an artery

3. An intravenous, or IV, catheter is inserted within a vein for administration of medications, fluid replacement, administration of blood products and chemotherapy or other treatments; and for the administration of diagnostic substances or intravenous contrast agents. IV catheters look like needles and they have an opening at the end where the tubing attaches. The location of the IV depends on the person's anatomy and any existing health problems. The size and width of the IV catheter depends on the function it will perform.Intravenous or IV therapy is beneficial for several conditions and medical situations including dehydration, nutrition, shock, surgery, blood transfusions, chemotherapy and medication administration. There are many types and brands of IV access catheters, and NursingCenter.com explains they fall under two designations, peripheral and central.

a) PeripheralThe most common type of intravenous catheter is designed for peripheral access. This is the IV line commonly put into the hand or forearm when a patient is admitted to the hospital. It is short, approximately 3/4- to 1-inch long, and is inserted into a vein by a nurse. Peripheral IVs come in various sizes, ranging from size 24 gauge or the smallest to size 14 gauge, the largest. Cypress College in California describes two types of peripheral IV devices. The most common is the over-the-needle catheter. This is inserted into a vein via a needle that has a plastic catheter around it; the needle is withdrawn, leaving the plastic catheter in the vein. The hub of that catheter is attached to IV tubing, or a protective cap is applied. The second type of peripheral IV catheter is a steel needle variation, often called a "butterfly" due to the wing-like plastic tubes at the base of the needle. These are always small gauge, and used for infants, blood draws and for smaller veins.

b) Midline Peripheral CatheterAnother type of IV catheter is called a midline, which is defined by NursingCenter.com as a catheter that is from 3- to 10-inches long, and inserted by a trained nurse in the arm near the inside of the elbow. This is threaded up inside the vein, with the tip not extending past the arm pit, or axilla. The chances of dislodging this IV access as compared to a peripheral one are lower, as the catheter is very soft and well imbedded in the vein. These catheters typically last for about four to six weeks. The tip of this catheter reaches a much larger vein, causing less irritation.

c) Peripherally Inserted Central CatheterA peripherally inserted central catheter, or PICC, is a flexible catheter that is put into the elbow vein much like the midline catheter. The difference is that this catheter is longer and guided into the vena cava, which leads into the heart, according to DrugInfo.com. For this reason, it is called a central catheter, meaning the fluid and medications infused go into the central circulation immediately.

d) Central Venous CatheterTheBody.com describes central venous catheters as those that are inserted by a physician through a vein in the neck, upper chest or anterior chest, with the tip in the vena cava of the heart. NursingCenter.com states that there are actually four types of central catheters: one is the PICC, while the others include a non-tunneled external catheter, a tunneled external catheter or an implanted port. The latter two catheters are surgically placed.