Catheter valve (plug)
A small lever-tap valve that connects to the catheter outlet in place of a continuous drainage bag, opened manually by nursing staff or the patient to empty the bladder.
How it is used
Allows ambulation without a visible bag and, in selected patients, bladder training (clamping and opening every few hours to maintain bladder tone) before catheter removal; its routine use for this last purpose is debated, since a 2023 systematic review found higher infection risk and delayed first voiding for short-term catheters compared with continuous free drainage.
Sources
This entry is part of the Instriq catalog, researched and written per specialty from real web research -- never generated or invented without verification -- and reviewed skeptically and independently before publication. How this catalog is written.