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catheter

File:Catheter_dissasembled.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Also known as catheters

In medicine, a catheter ( ) is a thin tube made from medical grade materials serving a broad range of functions. Catheters are medical devices that can be inserted in the body to treat diseases or perform a surgical procedure. Catheters are manufactured for specific applications, such as cardiovascular, urological, gastrointestinal, neurovascular and ophthalmic procedures. The process of inserting a catheter is called catheterization.

Key facts

Medical equipment.name
Catheter
Medical equipment.image
Catheter dissasembled.jpg
Medical equipment.caption
Catheter disassembled

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Research

252,213 papers

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Peridural kateter.jpg
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Commons category
Catheters
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~12 min read

Article

16 sections
Contents
  • Etymology
  • Uses
  • History
  • Ancient inventors
  • Modern
  • Materials
  • Urinary catheters
  • Catheters used in interventional procedures
  • Interventional procedures
  • Diagnostic catheters
  • Balloon catheters
  • Dialysis catheters
  • Adverse effects
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

In medicine, a catheter ( ) is a thin tube made from medical grade materials serving a broad range of functions. Catheters are medical devices that can be inserted in the body to treat diseases or perform a surgical procedure. Catheters are manufactured for specific applications, such as cardiovascular, urological, gastrointestinal, neurovascular and ophthalmic procedures. The process of inserting a catheter is called catheterization.

In most uses, a catheter is a thin, flexible tube (soft catheter) though catheters are available in varying levels of stiffness depending on the application. A catheter left inside the body, either temporarily or permanently, may be referred to as an "indwelling catheter" (for example, a peripherally inserted central catheter). A permanently inserted catheter may be referred to as a "permcath" (originally a trademark).

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