The word “catheter” is a medical term used to identify a long, flexible hollow tube. Such tubes can be quite small, such as those used to introduce medicine directly into the bloodstream, or much larger, which may be used for any of a number of purposes. A red catheter is a specific type of catheter that is very flexible and is made of red rubber. This type of catheter is typically fairly large and is used to drain fluids, commonly urine, from the body.
Patients who have any kind of condition which requires the bladder to be manually drained will often use a red catheter as the method of choice for draining it. The person will be taught how to drain the bladder at home, and then purchases a supply of red catheters for that purpose. Each catheter can be used more than once, provided it is washed well with warm water and soap and is allowed to dry out before being used again. The patient can continue to use a single catheter until it ceases to be flexible, at which point it should be discarded. Some patients express concern that reusing a red catheter to drain the bladder can be a source of infection, since once used the catheter cannot be sterilized, since heat or chemicals will damage the rubber. >
It is important to be careful when using cleaners and lubricants on a red catheter because they are generally made of latex rubber. This particular form of rubber can break down when using certain cleaning methods. Patients and medical personnel must make sure that no petroleum products, such as petroleum jelly, are used to lubricate the catheter for insertion into the bladder, since these will damage the rubber. Many red catheters come with a lubricant already applied, but if they are washed another water-soluble lubricant should be applied prior to the next insertion.
Once a red catheter has been used, it should be considered a biohazard and handled accordingly. Biohazard bags are available that can be used for the disposal of multiple catheters and any other medical equipment that is contaminated with body fluids of any sort. This bag can then be sealed and disposed of according to local laws for the handling of potentially hazardous medical waste.
