Recommended Indwelling Time for Short-Term Urinary Catheters

For short-term (transurethral) indwelling urinary catheters:

• Maximum dwell time: 28 days (per most guidelines, e.g., CDC, EAU).
• Recommended routine change interval: Every 10–14 days to minimize biofilm formation, encrustation, and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) risk.

Clinical judgment may warrant earlier change (e.g., obstruction, infection, trauma) or, rarely, slightly longer if the catheter remains patent and the patient is asymptomatic. Always follow facility protocol and manufacturer instructions.