A catheter is a tube that is used in medicine to guide urine. The main advantages of catheters are as follows.
1. Convenience: A catheter can help patients to urinate easily in their lives.
2. Reduces urine stasis: A catheter prevents urine from stagnating in the bladder, thus reducing the patient's risk of urine infection.
3. Improve quality of life: For some diseases (such as bladder loss and bladder scarring) that cause difficulty in urine discharge, catheters can effectively improve the quality of life of patients.

However, the catheter also has some disadvantages.
1. Uncomfortable: Catheters can be uncomfortable in the patient's body, especially during insertion and removal.
Susceptible to infection: Because the catheter is exposed, it is susceptible to infection.
3. Needs to be changed regularly: Catheters generally need to be changed regularly to prevent infection.
Overall, catheters can be a beneficial treatment for some patients, but they also have some disadvantages. Therefore, before using a catheter, you should consult your doctor carefully to ensure that it is used appropriately.

Regular catheter changes can reduce the incidence of infection and other complications during the use of a catheter. However, changing them too frequently can also increase the pain and inconvenience of the patient and may even cause some unnecessary complications. Therefore, proper catheter replacement guidelines are very important.

First, the timing of replacement needs to be determined by the patient's condition and the material of the catheter. In general, silicone catheters can be changed once a month while in use, while rubber catheters need to be changed more frequently, about once a week.

Second, changing a catheter requires attention to hygiene and handling techniques. Before changing a catheter, the health care provider needs to wash hands, wear gloves, and prepare items needed for the change, such as catheter kits and cleaning agents.

Finally, the patient needs to be provided with the necessary care and instructions after the catheter change. In general, patients may experience some discomfort after catheter changes, such as pain or poor urinary drainage.