infant female catheterization

Jolie, BSN · Sep 2, 2005

I am fustrated not being successful at catheterizing infant females. It also seems like we are getting more orders to do these now. Id like to have any hints from holding the tube to positoning or the angle of tube insertion. I feel i have the right spot but it isnt. Sorry if there is previous threads. If there is , please guide me how to find them for infants. Thank you.

What is your clinical setting? Even in the NICU, we didn't catheterize infants all that often. On occasion, a baby's urine output was so low that extremely accurate measurement was important, so a catheter was necessary, but most cultures were done from bagged specimens.

Just be sure you have sufficient help holding the baby's legs, and comforting her.

prmenrs, RN · Sep 2, 2005

Have another nurse assist you by holding the labia apart w/a pair of sterile Q-tips. Identify the lady parts. Then swab once more w/the Betadine. That little dimple where there is more B-dine is your target.

Swaddling the upper body and providing a pacifier w/sweetease helps the baby not struggle so much.

I hope that is the answer you're looking for, if not, try again.

endlesssummer1 · Sep 3, 2005

Thank you for your replys. I work in a general pediatric unit and two of our pediatricians now order cath ua's for all infants admitted for elevated temps. We used to always bag but now this is not the trend.

suzanne4, RN · Sep 3, 2005

What type of catheter are you actually using for this? A feeding tube will be much easier for just an in an out cath.

prmenrs, RN · Sep 3, 2005

We had a special kit w/a very small catheter inserted thru a special top to a test tube like collection device--everything else was like a normal catheter kit. It was very easy to use, probably a #5F size, and you didn't have to transfer [and possibly contaminate] the specimen.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2005

We had a special kit w/a very small catheter inserted thru a special top to a test tube like collection device--everything else was like a normal catheter kit. It was very easy to use, probably a #5F size, and you didn't have to transfer [and possibly contaminate] the specimen.

We have those kits too - I think ours are called "Pedi straight catheter" kits. I like them because the catheter itself is a little more stiff than the indwelling ones, and it seems much easier to get a successful sample. We only use them for two things - urine cultures and acute bladder decompression. If it's just a u/a or specific gravity, we do bag specimens.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Sep 3, 2005

When I cathed an infant I was surprised at the amount of force I needed to use to get in the urethra, even though I used a #5 tube. Thought I was in the wrong spot but pushing harder made it go in (and made the poor baby cry). Definitely not fun for anyone.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Sep 3, 2005

When I cathed an infant I was surprised at the amount of force I needed to use to get in the urethra, even though I used a #5 tube. Thought I was in the wrong spot but pushing harder made it go in (and made the poor baby cry). Definitely not fun for anyone.

We have a pediatrican that also orders a cathed specimen on all his patients with an elevated temp. I could justify it if it was FUO but for goodness sakes 99% come in with respiratory illnesses. The average ages are 6 mo to 4 years. I dread cathing those little girls it seems so barbaric !!!!

KK7724 · Sep 26, 2005

Hmm....

we catherize all our infants rather than bag....I know from my experience in Well-Baby Level II (which was short-lived) those U-bags don't always work so well....plus, you have to sometimes wait a pretty good while for the kid to urinate.

It is so interesting to hear what other hospitals do as opposed to your own....I am so scared of ever traveling because of it!

~Kristina, RN, BSN~