Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A hollow flexible tube for insertion into a body cavity, duct, or vessel to allow the passage of fluids or distend a passageway. Its uses include the drainage of urine from the bladder through the urethra or insertion through a blood vessel into the heart for diagnostic purposes.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In surgery: A tubular instrument introduced through the urethra into the bladder, to draw off the urine when its discharge is arrested by disease or accident. ⟨b) A tube for introduction into other canals: as, a Eustachian catheter.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Med.) The name of various instruments for passing along mucous canals, esp. applied to a tubular instrument to be introduced into the bladder through the urethra to draw off the urine.
  • noun See under Eustachian.
  • noun one adapted for passing an enlarged prostate.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun medicine A small tube inserted into a body cavity to remove fluid, create an opening, distend a passageway or administer a drug

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a thin flexible tube inserted into the body to permit introduction or withdrawal of fluids or to keep the passageway open

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Late Latin, from Greek kathetēr, from kathīenai, kathe-, to send down : kat-, kata-, cata- + hīenai, to send; see yē- in Indo-European roots.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word catheter.

Examples

  • A thin catheter is passed through a small incision into a blood vessel, usually in the knee or arm.

    Thrombolysis 2010

  • I am meeting with a cardiologist and will probably undergo what they call a catheter ablation to correct the SVT ...

    Discussion Forum - TuDiabetes 2010

  • Once the catheter is placed we will secure the tube to your child's leg with a piece or two of tape and the exam will begin.

    VCUG (Voiding Cysto-Urethrogram) 2010

  • When can I remove the bandage after the catheter is removed?

    Tunneled Catheter Placement 2010

  • After the catheter is removed, a bandage is applied to the catheter insertion site.

    Arteriogram 2010

  • If the clot can be treated by medication, the catheter is left at the clot site and connected to a pump that will deliver the medication at a precise rate.

    Thrombolysis 2010

  • A catheter is inserted into the bladder, which is filled with fluid that can be seen by x-ray.

    DOVE Center for Voiding, Bladder Function Problems 2010

  • A special catheter is placed into the bladder to measure the pressure while the bladder is filled with fluid.

    DOVE Center for Voiding, Bladder Function Problems 2010

  • The other end of the catheter is tunneled under the skin and exits from the side of the chest.

    Tunneled Catheter Placement 2010

  • Using x-ray guidance, the catheter is maneuvered to the area where the clot has formed.

    Thrombolysis 2010

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.