What Are Intermittent Catheters

Clean Intermittent Catheter (or CIC) is a device that is specifically designed for young boys and men suffering from urinary incontinences, weak and runny bladder, or a weak prostate gland. Instead of running to the washroom often or worrying about getting your clothes dirty, you can easily attach a CIC to your urinary organ and move about without worries for the rest of the day.

CICs offer the most efficient way of dealing with urinary troubles. The initials represent:

Clean: This means that the process is as sterile, clean and germ-free as possible

Intermittent: The process must be done on a regular basis (often 2-3 times a day)

Catheterization: The use of a catheter or a tube to drain out the urine

CIC can easily be applied just as any other catheter. Here are a few simple and efficient tips to do a successful CIC:

• Get all catheter supplies in a clean bathroom
• Wash your hands with soap and water before the process
• Position yourself in front of the toilet so as to avoid accidental urine spillage
• Lubricate the catheter with a jelly or a lubricating lotion (comes with the catheter)
• Cover at least 2-3 inches of the tip with the lubricant
• Slowly insert the lubricated catheter into your urethra
• Breath slowly and relax your muscles during the process
• Allow all urine to drain into your toilet

Once the flow stops, remove the catheter

• Wash your hands thoroughly and discard the catheter, unless it can be reused
• Follow the process at least 2-3 times a day 

Tips for Cleaning the Catheter

Most of the catheters offered on the market are reusable. This is because catheterization is not a one-time process. It must be done several times a day. However, reusing the same catheter over and over again can lead to infections and other diseases in the prostate gland, unless the catheter has been properly clean and sterilized after each use. Here are a few tips on catheter care:

– Clean Regularly

Use warm and soapy water to clean and rinse the catheter, after every use, thoroughly. Liquid hand wash or even antibacterial soaps can be used. Even dish soap can do the trick. For best cleaning, use a syringe to flush the catheter inside out. 

– Sterilize Once a Day

When it comes to catheter cleaning, sterilization offers the best results. Your catheter can easily be sterilized by either boiling water or with vinegar. When using boiling water, soak the catheters in boiling water for up to 10 minutes and clean them with a soft towel or a cleaning wipe.

If you are using vinegar, make sure to get the solution right. Firstly, wash the catheters with warm and soapy water and rinse them at least twice. Then soak the catheters in a solution of 250 ml of vinegar for up to 30 minutes. After that, you can rinse the catheters with clean water.