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What Is a Coude Catheter Used For?

Urinary retention occurs in men as they get older because of an enlargement of the prostate obstructing the passage way of the urine. The primary use of a Coude catheter is to facilitate navigation over the prostate curvature during catheterization to drain the urine from the bladder. A Coude catheter is curved or bent at the tip. This semi rigid catheter is usually made of red rubber and is normally used to catheterize males.

  1. History

    • Emile Coude, (1800 to 1870) invented the Coude catheter, which he called biCoude because it has two bends and in his modesty he was trying to disguise his name. The Coude catheter was first described in a publication in 1835. Coude is a French word, when used as a noun it means "elbow," used as an adjective it means "bent."

    Definition

    • A Coude catheter is a semi-rigid catheter that has a curve or bend at the tip. The curved tip allows it to navigate over the curvature of the prostate or any other urethral obstruction it may encounter. A Coude catheter is specifically designed for this purpose. Coude catheters are available in size 8 French to size 26 French.

    Use of a Coude Catheter

    • Urinary retention can be a painful and uncomfortable experience. The bladder is full and distended. The patient feels the urge to pass urine but is unable to do so. This is condition that needs immediate medical attention. Initially the doctor or urologist will use a regular appropriate size straight foley catheter to catheterize the patient. If there is difficulty navigating over the prostate curve, a Coude catheter of an appropriate size will be used.

    Other Uses

    • A coude catheter is commonly used for men but they are also used for catheterization of males or females with urethral blockage or narrowing when a straight catheter is unable to accomplish the task.

    Considerations

    • If the Coude catheter cannot be passed to release the urine from the bladder, other measures will have to be taken. These include the insertion of a flexible cystopscopy or the passing of filliforms and followers (guides and dilators) through the urinary passage by a urologist.

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