Cardiology

Update on mechanisms and management of atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major global health concern impacting millions and causing symptoms like palpitations, dyspnea, fatigue, dizziness, and chest discomfort. Furthermore, these symptoms reduce patients' quality ...

Biomedical technology

Aided by AI, new catheter design helps prevent bacterial infections

Bacteria are remarkably good swimmers—a trait that can be detrimental to human health. One of the most common bacterial infections in a health care setting comes from bacteria entering the body through catheters, thin tubes ...

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Catheter

In medicine, a catheter (pronounced /ˈkæθɪtər/) is a tube that can be inserted into a body cavity, duct, or vessel. Catheters thereby allow drainage, administration of fluids or gases, or access by surgical instruments. The process of inserting a catheter is catheterization. In most uses, a catheter is a thin, flexible tube ("soft" catheter), though in some uses, it is a larger, solid ("hard") catheter. A catheter left inside the body, either temporarily or permanently, may be referred to as an indwelling catheter. A permanently inserted catheter may be referred to as a permcath (originally a trademark).

The ancient Syrians created catheters from reeds. "Katheter - καθετήρ" originally referred to an instrument that was inserted such as a plug. The word "katheter" in turn came from "kathiemai - καθίεμαι" meaning "to sit". The ancient Greeks inserted a hollow metal tube through the urethra into the bladder to empty it and the tube came to be known as a "katheter".

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