What is a FOLEY self-retaining catheter?
A. A Foleys catheter is an indwelling flexible tube retained in the bladder by a balloon for the purpose of continuous drainage. In its basic form it has two interior channels, one for drainage and one for the balloon inflation. Another type the Foley-Stewart has a third channel for bladder irrigation. A prefilled Bardcomatic catheter is a self retaining Foleys catheter but the balloon is pre-filled with the correct volume of sterile water. To inflate this type of catheter the clip on the inflation channel is released once the catheter is in position and the balloon inflates. No syringe is required to inflate the pre-filled version. A syringe is needed to inflate the standard Foley catheter.
