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- Fine tube inserted into the body to introduce
- or remove fluids. The original catheter was
- the urinary one, passed by way of the urethra
- (the duct that leads urine away from the
- bladder). In today's practice, catheters can
- be inserted into blood vessels, either in the
- limbs or trunk, to provide blood samples and
- local pressure measurements, and to deliver
- drugs and/or nutrients directly into the
- bloodstream.
-