Indwelling Catheter Risks

An indwelling urinary catheter should have a specific, documented indication and a plan for removal. It may be appropriate for acute urinary retention, bladder outlet obstruction, selected perioperative situations, or accurate urine-output measurement in a critically ill patient. It is not a harmless substitute for toileting, incontinence care, or routine convenience. The clinical risk is cumulative. Bacteriuria becomes more likely with each day of catheterization—approximately 7% for every additional day—and infection risk rises markedly with prolonged continuous use. The most useful daily question is not “Does the catheter still drain?” but “Does this patient still need an indwelling catheter?” Patient factors modify risk without replacing the need to review the indication. Diabetes, female sex, fecal incontinence, and dehydration increase vulnerability. A high-risk patient may need closer reassessment and earlier consideration of an alternative, but no patient should retain a catheter simply because removal feels inconvenient.