Having recently looked at catheter care guidelines I keep finding evidence advising against the routine changing of catheters. This then leaves a grey area as to how long you can leave them. If anyone knows of any articles they can direct me to or any advise I'd appreciate it.
I think it all depends on the individual patient. Its a general rule that catheters are changed after 12 weeks, however in some cases they made need to be performed earlier due to individual problems. As a community nurse this happens often to patients and we change them routinely sometimes at 6 or 7 weeks if thats what the patient needs.
The life span of a catheter is dependant on its licence duration by the manufacturer of the product. Most foley catheters do state this on the packaging but if not ring the manufacturere whose number will appear on the packaging. You should then put the planned date for catheter change in the care plan.
However some patients will follow a pattern ie they may only last one week or may go the full lifespan of the catheter licencing ie 12 weeks.
They should not be routinely changed unless they are coming up to the licencing or it is clinically indicated etc