Catheterization

Rain containing chemical substances that are contributing to the acidification of the environment.

A bladder that is "floppy" and loses detrusor muscle tone and does not contract for emptying.

Sack-shaped organ that has a wall of smooth muscle and stores urine.

A procedure in which a piece of bowel, stomach, or ureter is used to enlarge the bladder.

Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy. Enlargement of the prostate.

A flexible tube that is inserted into a narrow opening so that fluids may be removed.

A measurement for the size or diameter of the catheter. LoFric catheters are available in CH08 to CH24.

A heavy gas used in disinfecting and a substance included in PVC-plastic. Chlorine has a negative impact on the environment by acting as a contributor in the production of acid-rain.

A disease or condition that lasts for a long time - sometimes forever.

Intermittent catheterization using a clean technique. Clean technique means you wash your hands before catheterizing, but do not need to maintain sterility while catheterizing.

A catheter with the ability to bind an outer layer of water to itself, no separate lubricants are needed.

A procedure that creates a channel of tissue through which a person can empty their bladder, instead of using the urethra.

A catheter with a stiff curved tip used to negotiate a urethra that is narrow due to previous trauma, false passages, or other reasons.

Injuries mainly due to brain damage occuring before birth or due to lack of oxygen during bith. The patient may have poor coordination between the bladder muscle and the sphincter.

Bladder muscle.

When the bladder muscle contracts uncontrollably, causing urinary leakage. Detrusor instability can also result in the build-up of pressure in the bladder, causing reflux.

A disease where the body cannot control sugar absorption because the pancreas does not secrete enough insulin. The function of the urinary system may also be affected.

Tissue that covers the external surface of a body and lines hollow structures.

A stright catheter with rounded tip for women.

A catheter that is left in place for a period of time after its introduction.

Refers to the width of a catheter in French units. One French equals 1/3 of a millimeter. The larger the French size, the wider the catheter.

Abnormal presence of blood, specifically red blood cells, in the urine.

Attracting water.

An adverse condition resulting from a medical procedure. The examination and treatment of a variety of ailments in the pelvic area can lead to incomplete emptying of the bladder.

A chronic inflammatory condition of the bladder.

The two organs in the lumbar region that clean waste products from blood. These waste products, together with excess water, are excreted from the body in the form of urine.

A jelly-like substance used to make an ordinary plastic catheter slick enough to slide into the urethra.

Disease of the central nervous system which gets progressively worse, causing numbness in the limbs, progressive weakness and paralysis. Sometimes the disease also affects the function of the urinary system.

A method which avoids having to touch the catheter directly with your hands. The LoFric® Cath-Kit™ allow the use of no-touch technique.

The concentration of particles in a solution. A hydrophilic catheter must have a level of osmolality that is in the same range as urine in order to hold its water layer on inside the urethra.

The muscles that support the pelvic organs including the bladder and uterus.

The lower portion of the trunk of the body, a bowl-shaped ring, formed by the two hip-bones.

PVP is an agent that binds water to plastic. PVP is one of the elements found in the LoFric catheter's coating that makes the catheter hydrophilic, or water attracting.

An reproductive organ in the male. This gland is located next to and under the bladder and completely surrounds the male urethra, and is normally the size of a walnut.

Polyvinylchloride

An abnormal backflow of urine to the kidneys.

The urine that is left in the bladder when the bladder cannot be emptied all the way. It is dangerous to leave residual urine in the bladder because bacteria can colonize in the urine, leading to an infection.

Sodium Chloride (NaCl). This is one component of the outer layer of the LoFric® catheter. The salt increases the osmolality of the LoFric catheter and prevents the water from being removed from the catheter's surface after insertion. The patented addition of salt to the LoFric® catheter coating is unique. It ensures balanced osmolality and also optimizes both water binding and water retaining properties. LoFric® is the only hydrophilic catheter which uses salt in this way to increase osmolality and ensure that water is retained on the surface of the catheter throughout the catheterization process - from insertion to withdrawal.

A sphincter muscle surrounds the urethra, holding it closed until it is time to urinate.

A condition where the backbone protecting the spinal cord has a gap in it. Spina Bifida takes two forms. The mild form called Spina Bifida Occulta, occurs when only the bone is affected and the spinal cord is undamaged. The more serious form, Spina Bifida cystica, occurs when the spinal cord itself is damaged. Spina Bifida may result in paralysis and problems affecting the urinary system.

The part of the central nervous system running from the brain through the vertebral canal of the spine.

Damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function such as mobility or feeling.

An opening. In urology, stoma usually refers to the opening in the abdomen used for the drainage of urine.

Abnormal swelling or growth of new cells. When appearing in the abdominal area the function of the urinary system may also be affected.

The tubes through which urine passes from the kidneys to the bladder.

The passageway through which urine flows from the bladder to exit the body.

The opening of the urethra.

A narrowing of the urethra caused by inflammation, scarring, trauma or injury to the pelvic region, BPH, or instrumentation used in the urethra.

A procedure done to open a urethra that has been narrowed due to scarring or inflammation.

The involuntary leakage of urine.

The entire system of ducts, channels, kidneys, ureters, bladder and the urethra which deal with excretion of waste from the body.

An infection in the urinary tract caused by the colonization of bacteria. Bacterial colonization can occur if the bladder is not emptied frequently enough or is not emptied all the way, but can also be triggered by abrasion to the inside of the urethra.