What Is a Foley Catheter?
Foley catheters feature flexible silicone or latex tubing with two lumens, or channels. The first lumen is open at both ends. It drains urine from the bladder into an exterior container. The second lumen has a port at the entry point and a balloon at the bladder end.
How Do Foley Catheters Work?
The Foley catheter uses gravity to drain the bladder of urine. First, a medical technician threads the balloon end of the sterile, flexible tube through the urethra, which channels urine under normal circumstances. The urethra provides a direct path to the bladder. Once the catheter is in place, the technician squirts saline solution through the other lumen to fill the balloon now inside the bladder. The filled balloon keeps the Foley catheter in place for periods ranging from a couple of hours to a few days.
C.R. Bard #123628A, Silicone-Elastomer-Coated 2-Way Foley Catheter, 30 mL, 28 Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0165SI16, Bardex I.C., 2-way Foley Catheter, Balloon 5cc, 16Fr, 12/CS
Sterigear #10279, KIT, CATH, FOLEY, 18FR, FIGLEAF, DRAIN BAG, 10/CS
Sterigear #10274, KIT, CATH, FOLEY, 16FR, FIG LEAF, DRAIN BAG, 10/CS
C.R. Bard #0166V16S, Silicone-Elastomer Coated Foley Catheter, 30cc 16Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #FOL0100, StatLock Foley Stabilization Device, Foam Anchor Pad w/Perspiration Holes, for Silicone Catheter, Adult, 25/BOX
C.R. Bard #0165SI20, Bardex I.C., 2-way Foley Catheter, Balloon 5cc, 20Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #165814, Uncoated Silicone Foley Catheter, 14 Fr, 5 mL, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #01237522, BARDEX LUBRICATH 2-Way Foley Catheter, 22 Fr, 75 mL, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #1758SI18, Lubri-Sil Catheter, Silver and Hydrogel, 18 Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0165SI14, Bardex I.C., 2-way Foley Catheter, Balloon 5cc, 14Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #175818, Bardex Lubri-Sil All Silicone Lubricious Coated Foley Catheter, 18 Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0166V18S, Foley Catheter, Silicone-Elastomer, 18 Fr, 30 mL, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0165SI22, Bardex I.C., 2-way Foley Catheter, Balloon 5cc, 22Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #175810, LUBRI-SIL Silicone Foley Catheter, 3 cc, 10 Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #806514, Foley Catheter, Silicone, 2-Way, 5 cc, 14 Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0165L30, LUBRICATH Foley Catheter, 2way, Balloon 5cc, 30FR, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0119SI24, Bardex I.C., 3-way Foley Catheter, Balloon 5cc, 24Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0166V26S, Bardex Cath Foley Ltx Sil 30cc 26fr 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0165SI28, Silver Hydrogel 2-Way Foley Catheter, 5 mL, 28 Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0166V22S, Silicone-Elastomer Coated Foley Catheter, 22 Fr, 30 mL, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #175812, LUBRI-SIL 2-Way Foley Catheter, 5 cc Balloon, 12 Fr, MSPV/Government Only, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0165SI18, Bardex I.C., 2-way Foley Catheter, Balloon 5cc, 18Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0165SI30, Bardex I.C., 2-way Foley Catheter, Balloon 5cc, 30Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0174L22, Cath Foley 22fr 3-way 5cc 12/b 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0198L22, LUBRICATH Foley Catheter, 2-Way, Specialty, Wheeler Model, Short Round Tip, Extra Large Single Drainage Eye, Balloon 30cc, 22FR, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0166V28S, Bardex Cath Foley Ltx Sil 30cc 28fr 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0166V20S, Bardex Silicone-Elastomer Coated Foley Catheter, 2-Way , Balloon 30cc, 20FR, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0166SI16, Bardex I.C., 2-way Foley Catheter, Balloon 5cc, 16Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #123624A, Silicone-Elastomer-Coated 2-Way Foley Catheter, 30 mL, 24 Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #806516, Bardia All-Silicone Catheter, 5 cc, 16 Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0166V30S, Bardex Cath Foley Ltx Sil 30cc 30fr 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0166V24S, Bardex Silicone-Elastomer Coated Foley Catheter, 2-Way , Balloon 30cc, 24FR, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #781600S, Catheter Tray Foley Sil CT16FR 20/CS
C.R. Bard #0165V26S, Silicone-Elastomer-Coated 2-Way Foley Catheter, 5 mL, 26 Fr, 12/CS
C.R. Bard #0165L14, LUBRICATH Foley Catheter, 2way, Balloon 5cc, 14FR, 12/CS
Foley Catheter Sizes
Foley catheters come in different sizes. The sizes of Foley catheters indicate the outer diameter of the flexible tube. The standard French sizing system for Foley catheters ranges from the smallest size – 5 Fr – to the largest – 24 Fr. You can easily convert a millimeter measurement to French sizing by multiplying the diameter in millimeters by 3. For example, an 8 mm-diameter Foley catheter is a French size 24.
The most common sizes of Foley catheters for adults of both genders are 14 and 16 Fr. The rule of thumb is to use the smallest size that will effectively drain the bladder. Once the catheter is in place, the surrounding tissue tends to close around it, so the smaller the catheter, the smaller the opening it will leave once a nurse or technician removes it.
In addition to sizes of Foley catheters, a color coding system for the port or funnel helps with quicker identification and selection of the correct size. The following examples show the color, the French size and the corresponding diameter in millimeters for some Foley catheters
- Black, 10 Fr, 3.3 mm
- White, 12 Fr, 4.0 mm
- Green, 14 Fr, 4.7 mm
- Orange, 16 Fr, 5.3 mm
- Red, 18 Fr, 6.0 mm
- Yellow, 20 Fr, 6.7 mm
- Purple, 22 Fr, 7.3 mm
The smallest Foley catheter sizes are for infant and pediatric use. The largest sizes are typically for draining blood clots from the urinary tract.
Types of Foley Catheters
Over the years of use, medical researchers have developed some innovative Foley catheter types that are more versatile, less likely to cause irritation, and easier to use. The result is a spectrum of Foley catheter types, including silicone Foley catheters and antimicrobial Foley catheters, that offer new features but use the same basic design Frederic Foley invented nearly a century ago.
- Coude catheter – a Foley catheter with a curved tip for easier insertion past an enlarged prostate gland
- Council tip catheter – a Foley catheter with a small hole at the tip for a guide wire
- Three-way catheter – a special Foley catheter divided into three lumens instead of the standard two, with the third providing a channel for sterile irrigation
- Silicone Foley catheters – catheters for longer term use, cause less irritation and fewer injuries than latex
- Antimicrobial Foley catheters – Foley catheters with an antimicrobial coating that prevents urinary tract infections resulting from catheter use
Other Foley Catheter Products
A Foley catheter kit is a package that provide the basic supplies you need to safely and successfully catheterize a patient. The most basic kits typically contain a Foley catheter, a syringe of sterile saline solution, sterile gloves and lubricating jelly.
Foley catheter trays are typically more complete than Foley catheter kits, although sometimes the two products are interchangeable. The tray provide you with the same items that come in a kit, but it also includes a drainage bag.
Foley Catheter History
Frederic Foley invented the Foley catheter in 1928, and this medical instrument is still the most common urinary catheter in use today. For patients who are having trouble urinating after surgery, are comatose or have loss of bladder control, Foley catheters provide drainage and relief.
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