The traditional Foley catheter is one of the most widely used medical devices in the world — and one of the least improved.
The traditional Foley catheter is one of the most widely used medical devices in the world. Despite continuing urologic injuries and complications associated with use of the Foley, there has been very little improvement or change in the product since its development and commercialization in the 1930s.
Patients with altered mental status are at the highest risk of pulling out their catheters with the balloon still inflated — causing urethral and bladder damage, excessive bleeding, and infection.
Catheter pullout complications can result in extended hospital stays, additional procedures, and significantly increased costs for healthcare systems.
In the U.S., a Foley catheter is pulled out with the balloon still inflated roughly every 45 seconds — around the clock, every day, all year long.
In the time it took you to read this sentence, another catheter was pulled out with the balloon still inflated. It happens around the clock — 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — in hospitals across the United States.
Catheter pullouts can result in urethral and bladder damage, excessive bleeding, and infection. Patients with cognitive impairments — dementia, delirium — are at highest risk.
Healthcare staff face additional workload managing preventable pullout injuries, including catheter reinsertion, wound care, and extended monitoring of affected patients.
The annual expense to treat injuries caused by catheter pullouts is $4.5 billion. Additional costs include long-term injuries such as urethral strictures and healthcare staff burden.
Every number on this page represents a preventable pullout event. The Egress AutoValve™ is the first Foley catheter designed to automatically deflate the moment a patient pulls on it — stopping the injury before it starts.
See How It Works
The Egress is the first urinary safety catheter designed to automatically deflate if pulled out with the balloon inflated — preventing the urethral trauma, bleeding, and complications that occur with forced removal.
Explore the TechnologyIf a family member is in the ICU, recovering from surgery, or living with dementia or delirium, they may be at higher risk of accidentally pulling out their urinary catheter — which can cause serious injury.
The Egress Safety Catheter was designed with these patients in mind. It looks and works like a standard catheter, but thanks to the integrated Egress AutoValve™, if it's pulled, the balloon automatically releases — preventing the trauma that traditional catheters can cause.
Have a question about the Egress Safety Catheter for your family member? Reach out to our team — patients, families, and caregivers are always welcome.
Contact our team to learn how the Egress AutoValve™ can help protect your most vulnerable patients.