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Using a catheter to empty the bladder is not a recently developed concept. ISC was practiced in ancient Greece several thousand years ago.
The first known catheters were made of metal, such as gold, silver and iron. They were used for many purposes. Emptying bladders was one purpose, but they were also used to treat different ailments. For example, these catheters could be used to blow away bladder stones from the urethra and the bladder.
The human body has not changed much through the years. It has always been important to minimize damage to the urethra when inserting a catheter. In order to make the catheter glide as easily as possible, it was lubricated with butter, oil or even soft cheese! Today we have better methods, wouldn't you agree? The first catheters made of rubber appeared in the 19th century.
...they did as we do now.
In the middle of the 20th century we started using so-called indwelling catheters. This is a catheter that remains in place in the bladder even after it has been emptied. After a while, it was discovered that people who used these catheters suffered serious infections in the urinary tract. The reason was that these indwelling catheters allowed bacteria to grow in the urine. Today, CIC is the most common method for emptying the bladder. CIC implies that the catheter is removed immediately after the bladder has been emptied. Thereby reducing the risk for infections and other complications.
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