The urinary catheter is a flexible tube that collects urine from the bladder and collects urine in a drainage bag. A person uses it if they face difficulty in passing the urine naturally. Catheters can be use for many reasons, such as a blockage in the urethra, injury to the urethra, congenital disabilities affecting the urinary tracts, bladder weakness, and kidney, ureter, or bladder stones. There are mainly three types of catheters indwelling catheters, condom catheters, and intermittent catheters. Rubber, plastic, or silicone are all possible materials for urinary catheters. However, urinary catheters can cause urinary tract infections. Thus it is necessary to take care of the catheters to prevent infection.
The global urinary catheter market was $2.11 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $3.4 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 5.5% from 2021-2030.
COVID-19 impact on urinary catheters market
The COVID-19 pandemic was favorable to the catheter market. As per a report by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, urinary catheter and central line Standardized Utilization Ratio (SUR) increased. The central line SUR increased by 4.9% from 0.88 before the COVID-19 pandemic to 0.92 during the outbreak. During the pandemic, the SUR of urinary catheters increased by 7.4%, from 0.79 before COVID-19 to 0.84 after COVID-19. This will boost the market growth over the forecast period.
Furthermore, the pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of infection prevention. As a result, several manufacturers are developing products such as coated urinary catheter with temperature monitoring for ICU patients to provide stronger secondary infection protection, which is likely to drive market growth. For example, Health Canada approved Bactiguard’s urine catheter with a temperature sensor for infection prevention in February 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted the approval because Bactiguard catheters can reduce the incidence of secondary infections in critically ill patients, boosting the market growth.
Market drivers
- The rise in the incidence of urinary incontinence globally
A prevalent health condition among the elderly and those with diabetes is urinary incontinence or having no control over urinating. The increased prevalence of urine incontinence is attributed to many significant factors, including excessive stress, chronic illnesses, kidney disorders, prostate cancer, dementia, and in certain cases, neurological consequences. This is, in turn fueling the global market for urinary catheters. Manufacturers’ innovative tactics are also driving the global market for increasing the production of urinary catheters to meet the expanding healthcare demand.
- Technological advancements in healthcare and improved healthcare infrastructure
Because of rapid healthcare advancement, an increase in the geriatric population, and improved healthcare infrastructure, the urinary catheter market is expected to see lucrative growth opportunities over the forecast period. Technological advancements and favorable reimbursement policies support market expansion in the healthcare sector.Urinary catheters are in high demand in hospitals due to the rising prevalence of prostate cancer and the increase in prostate operations.
Opportunity
Countries that are still developing, like India, China, Brazil, Mexico, and Brazil, have a lot of room to grow in the urinary catheter market. The available future growth opportunities can be attributed to an increasing number of regulatory approvals, an increasing patient population, rising healthcare spending, and improvements in healthcare infrastructure.
Recent trends in the urinary catheters market
Urinary catheter manufacturers focus on developing technologically advanced products that can reduce UTIs and allow urologists to provide better urological treatment and patient care. To improve antibacterial properties, major players are focusing on introducing urinary catheters, particularly intermittent urinary catheters made with hydrophilic technology.
Key players are focusing on expanding their existing urinary catheter portfolios by introducing advanced urinary catheter products and developing newer technologies through consistent R&D investments.
Companies are investing in research and development to create urinary catheters made of biocompatible materials. The use of silicone in developing urinary catheters is also increasing due to its resistance to chemicals and insensitivity to temperature changes. Urinary catheters made of silicone are also less likely to cause meatitis, urethritis, and trigonitis.
Major companies
Some of the major players in the market are:
- Hollister, Inc.
- Medtronic PLC
- Boston Scientific Corp
- Becton Dickinson And Company
- Cook Medical
- others
