Intermittent Catheterization (IC)
Intermittent catheterization (IC) concerns the voiding phase of the lower urinary tract function. It is the “gold standard” for patients with the inability of spontaneous voiding. IC promotes complete bladder emptying under low-pressure conditions. The sterile, clean, and aseptic technique has been introduced for the catheter insertion. Single-use or reusable catheters are used according to each technique. Hydrophilic-coated and prelubricated catheters have been developed in an attempt to decrease resistance to insertion and lessen urethral trauma without requiring additional lubricant. These cannot be cleaned or reused so they are restricted to single-use protocols. Although there is a sense of lower complication rate (regarding UTIs and urethral trauma) among physicians, in favor of single-use hydrophilic coated or prelubricated catheters, there are no strong data to establish it in the era of evidence-based medicine.
