Which statement about a double-lumen catheter is true?

Which statement about a double-lumen catheter is true?

• A. It has three lumens
• B. It is used only for irrigation
• C. It has two lumens: one for urine drainage and one to inflate a balloon
• D. It is used only in nephrostomy

Answer: (C)

The main idea is understanding how a standard urinary catheter is built to stay in the bladder and drain urine. A double-lumen catheter has two channels: one carries urine out to a collection bag, and the other is used to inflate a retention balloon that sits in the bladder neck to keep the catheter from slipping out. This makes it suitable for indwelling use. So the true statement is that it has two lumens: one for urine drainage and one to inflate a balloon. The other descriptions don’t fit a typical double-lumen catheter: having three lumens describes a three-way catheter used for irrigation, not a standard double-lumen Foley. Saying it’s used only for irrigation isn’t correct because its primary purpose is drainage with retention. And it isn’t limited to nephrostomy tubes, which are a different type of tube placed directly into the kidney, not the bladder.

The main idea is understanding how a standard urinary catheter is built to stay in the bladder and drain urine. A double-lumen catheter has two channels: one carries urine out to a collection bag, and the other is used to inflate a retention balloon that sits in the bladder neck to keep the catheter from slipping out. This makes it suitable for indwelling use.

So the true statement is that it has two lumens: one for urine drainage and one to inflate a balloon. The other descriptions don’t fit a typical double-lumen catheter: having three lumens describes a three-way catheter used for irrigation, not a standard double-lumen Foley. Saying it’s used only for irrigation isn’t correct because its primary purpose is drainage with retention. And it isn’t limited to nephrostomy tubes, which are a different type of tube placed directly into the kidney, not the bladder.