Female Catheters

Types of Female Catheters

• Straight Catheters: Female straight catheters are the basic catheters that are uncoated and need to be lubricated manually prior female catheterization. They are lubricated by packets of sterile lubricants which can be ordered separately. They are a little lighter than hydrophilic and closed system catheters that include a water packet or insertion supplies.
• Hydrophilic Catheters: Female hydrophilic catheters resemble the straight catheters in many ways. The only feature that makes them different from each other is that the hydrophilic catheters have their own coating that gets activated by water. On getting activated, they become smooth, slippery and ready-to-use. There is no need of carrying lubricating packets with these pre-lubricated catheters. Depending on the brand, they are either packaged in their own sterile saline solution or come with a sterile water packet that needs to be bursted inside the main packaging to lubricate the catheter.
• Closed System Catheters: Female closed system catheters come pre-lubricated in their self-contained collection bag. This eliminates the requirement of carrying additional lubricant. The collection bag stores urine and helps in performing catheterization anywhere you have privacy. Closed system catheters usually have an introducer tip that bypasses the majority of bacteria found in the first few millimeters of the urethra and minimizes the risk of infection. Many brands include insertion supplies as well, such as gloves, antiseptic wipes, underpads, etc.