Dec 232012
 

Foley catheters may be purchased online from medical supply companies. These products may be shipped directly to a patient’s home. This provides an easy way to receive necessary urological supplies without the inconvenience of driving to a local medical supply company location.  Foley Catheters are easy to find online.

What is a foley catheter?


Patients that are new to using an silicone indwelling urinary foley catheter can be confused abouth them. There are many sizes of foley catheters, and the french system can be confounding. Also, how does your doctor even find out what size is necessary for the patient?

One way of measuring the correct size of a  foley catheter is through the use of a “Urethra Gauge.”  This is a popular tool used by health care professionals to divine the correct size. Foley catheters are measured on a scale in “french” units (fr).

A nurse or doctor will thread the urethra guage into the urethra to measure the interior diameter of the urethra. The doctor will then will choose a foley catheter with a french unit diameter that matches. For instance, most individuals will fall between 3.3mm (called 10F on the french scale ) to 9.3mm (28 F).

The correct size F silicone foley catheter will be threaded into the urethra. Then, the nurse or doctor will inflate the top of the catheter’s balloon with sterile water. This will keep the foley catheter in place.

Obviously, patients will think of this process with discomfort. The nurse will use lubricants to make the procedure less uncomfortable. They may also use topical anesthetics before inserting the foley catheter.  Once the patient or caregiver understands the process, they may be motivated to develop an ability to change the foley catheters theirself.  This process is referred to as intermittent catheterization. It allows the patient to change the foley catheter more frequently.  It lends itself to independence for the patient.

Online Foley Catheter Suppliers


Here are a few suppliers that ship foley catheters directly to patients.

Uromed.com offers free samples and ships foley catheters online.

STL Medical is an online retailer that sells foley catheters.

Allegro Medical offers discount pricing on foley catheters and urological supplies.

Other Catheter Types

There are other styles of catheters other than foley catheters.  Patients may find some easier to use. For instance, one popular choice is a portable cather or a ” speedicath .”  These types of catheters may be purchased online or in a medical supply store near you.

 

Here is a quick informational video on properly using a urethral catheter.

Warning: for mature viewers only.