Offering patients a choice of urinary catheter drainage system.

The aim of this article is to promote understanding of the benefits, assessment process and suitability of catheter valves, as a form of urinary drainage for patients. A literature review on the benefits of catheter valves provides the opportunity for an in-depth discussion that compares and contrasts different urinary drainage systems. On the evidence of the literature review, all patients require a holistic assessment which considers a number of factors, and provides the nurse with the essential objective data to ascertain the suitability of the catheter valve. These data can be transferred into an easy step-by-step algorithm to help guide the nurse in making the decision, with the patient, on the most appropriate urinary catheter drainage system.