Bladder Scan Question

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Does anyone kow the smallest volume of urine that a bladder scanner will detect? I had a patient who kept registering 00ml however on the image there was a small highlighted area. I was just wondering as there appeared some urine remaining in the bladder.

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Specializes in Cath Lab & Interventional Radiology.

I am not exactly sure the lowest amount. I do know that I have had it say 24 mL one time & 36mL another time.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, SICU.

funny, i actually thought about this earlier in the week when i did a bladder scan that revealed a 15ml... thats the lowest (i can remember) i ever got other than 0... probably varies by brand

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

The smallest I remember was 25mls.

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Specializes in M/S, Tele, Sub (stepdown), Hospice.

Smallest # I've seen was 9cc

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Specializes in Pedi.

I'm pretty sure I've seen somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 mL on a bladder scan before. I am sure that it varies by manufacturer. I work pedi so a volume that would be a big deal for a child (I've straight cath'd a baby for 60 mL found on a bladder scanner when the baby didn't void post-op) wouldn't be a big deal at all for an adult. We had hand held pedi bladder scanners.

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In my experience with the bladder scanner, anytime you get a reading of 0cc it usually isn't correct. It would pick up low readings like 15cc but anytime it read 0cc I would redo. Sometimes if the pt has a very large pannus this would happen. You almost have to hunt for it. One time there was one patient who we could never get an accurate reading on and eventually the MD wrote the order to straight cath when pt was symptomatic or on a schedule

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