What is a straight catheter used for?

• A. A single-lumen tube used for immediate drainage of the bladder, then removed
• B. A device for continuous bladder irrigation
• C. A catheter used to bypass the urethra
• D. A two-lumen catheter for drainage and balloon inflation

Answer: (A)

A straight catheter is designed for intermittent bladder drainage. It is a single-lumen tube inserted through the urethra to drain urine and then removed after the bladder is emptied. Because it has no balloon to stay in place and no extra lumen for irrigation, it is not used for continuous drainage, irrigation, or retention. Those functions are provided by indwelling or multi-lumen catheters (with a balloon to keep the catheter in place or an irrigation lumen), or by routes that bypass the urethra (such as a suprapubic approach). So the best description is a single-lumen tube used for immediate drainage of the bladder, then removed.