Urethral Catheterization: A Review of the Indications, Techniques, and Complications of Male Urethral Catheterization for General Medical Practice

The physiologic process of micturition plays an essential role in the ability of the human body to regulate homeostasis. When the urinary system encounters an obstruction such as a foreign body within the bladder or other prostatic diseases like benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), alternative measures to drain the bladder is required, this birthed the use of urethral catheters & the catheterization procedure. Urethral catheterization dates to the early days of medicine and while it is mostly a routine procedure in this era, the total understanding of its indications, proper techniques, and associated complications remains an essential tool in the arsenal of a practicing physician.