French catheter scale
French Catheter Scale
The French Catheter Scale or simply French Scale (pronunciation: /frɛntʃ kæθɪtər skeɪl/) is a unit of measurement used in the field of medicine, specifically in urology and interventional radiology, to gauge the diameter of catheters and other tubular medical instruments. The term is derived from the French word for 'scale', which is 'échelle'.
Definition
The French Scale is denoted as Fr, and it measures the circumference of the catheter in millimeters. One French unit (1 Fr) is equivalent to one-third of a millimeter (0.33 mm). This means that the diameter of a catheter measured in French units is approximately three times the diameter in millimeters.
Usage
The French Scale is widely used in medical procedures involving the insertion of a catheter into a body cavity, duct, or vessel. This includes procedures such as cystoscopy, ureteroscopy, and cardiac catheterization. The scale helps healthcare professionals to choose the appropriate size of the catheter for each specific procedure and patient.
Related Terms
- Catheter: A tube that can be inserted into a body cavity, duct, or vessel to allow drainage, injection of fluids, or access by surgical instruments.
- Urology: The branch of medicine and physiology concerned with the function and disorders of the urinary system.
- Interventional Radiology: A medical specialty that performs minimally invasive treatments using radiologic imaging for procedure guidance.
Etymology
The French Catheter Scale was named after the Frenchman Joseph-Frédéric-Benoît Charrière, a 19th-century Parisian producer of surgical instruments, who introduced the scale. It is important to note that the term 'French' in the French Catheter Scale does not refer to the country of France, but rather to the surname of its inventor.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on French catheter scale
- Wikipedia's article - French catheter scale
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