Foley Catheter - Risks

Risks

There are several risks when using a Foley catheter (or catheters generally), including:

• The balloon can break while the catheter is being inserted. In this case, the healthcare provider will remove all the balloon fragments.
• The balloon might not inflate after it is in place. In some institutions, the healthcare provider will check the balloon inflation before inserting the catheter into the urethra. If the balloon still does not inflate after its placement into the bladder, it will be discarded and replaced with a new catheter.
• Urine stops flowing into the bag. The healthcare provider will check for correct positioning of the catheter and bag or for obstruction of urine flow within the catheter tube.
• Urine flow is blocked. The Foley catheter will be discarded and replaced with a new catheter.
• The urethra begins to bleed. The healthcare provider will monitor the bleeding.
• Introduction of an infection into the bladder. The risk of infection in the bladder or urinary tract increases with the number of days the catheter is in place.
• If the balloon is opened before the Foley catheter is completely inserted into the bladder, bleeding, damage and even rupture of the urethra can occur.In some individuals, long-term permanent scarring and strictures of the urethra could occur.
• Defective catheters may be supplied, which break in situ. The most common fractures occur near the distal end or at the balloon.
• Catheters can be pulled out by patients while the balloon is still inflated, leading to major complications or even death. This may occur when patients are mentally impaired (e.g. they have Alzheimer's) or are in a mentally altered state (e.g. they are coming out of surgery).