betadine after delivery

[Dayray]

I've read several articles talking about how bad betadine is and while I don't buy into it completly it does make me question its use in some situations.

I've recently started doing something I'm not sure is good. I dread having to strait cath patients after delivery. They are already soar and many of them are very swollen makeing it hard to cath them which cuases even more pain. A few weeks ago I was setting up my stuff to cath a patient and I did'nt do the betadine prep. It always stings them and I did'nt want to do that to her. I still use it for cath's before delivery but havent been after delivery. I still do the sterile set up and use dry swabs from the kit to clean off the opening of the urethra.

I've been going back and forth on weather or not I'm doing the right thing. on one hand people self cath useing clean technique and do just fine. On the other I was always taught to use betadine in school. I also bought a bottle of pepermint oil to put in the bedpan so mabey I wont have to cath as many patients.

Please share you opinion

[cokie]

not sure, but isn't the betadine to kill any of the pt. own bacteria that is present right at the urethal opening, so that one doesn't scoot it on up into the urethal (too long since school, i wanted to say the pee pee tube), where the bacteria can sit in that nice warm wet environment, crawl on up and cause a major uti. we learned that betadine is best for this as it kills these bacteria on contact and also as it dries.....not sure the other products do this. also, just a question. i work on post partum and i have not seen svd's come over with caths. are these straight caths for inability to urinate, or are these indwellings.......please educate.

[ShandyLynnRN, BSN, RN]

Usually straight caths.

Occasionally for a long labor, when they have an epidural, we will insert a foley until they start pushing.

Also, occasionally, we will insert an indwelling cath if they have a lot of edema after delivery and it is obvious that they will have trouble/not be able to urinate. Then the foley comes out once the edema has gone down.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Just said I rarely have to cath pp patients. I guess I jinxed myself in saying it, as you can see if you read my latest thread. UGH I really blew it this time.

[HazeK]

I could care less if the perineum is cleansed w/ betadine...

personally, a bit of baby shampoo and water is what I use just to "clean up a bit" before putting the 'under-buttocks" pad into place....

but for catheterizations: Please, use STERILE technique in handling the catheter AND s tiny bit of betadine or Hibiclens locally at the urethra to decrease the chance of dragging normal exterior flora into the urethra and bladder!

I can tell you, from first-hand experience 27 years ago, that having a severe septicemia after a lady partsl delivery is NOT NICE! My OB did a 'red rubber' cath after my delivery, without any sort of a skin prep!

[SmilingBluEyes]

Strict aseptic cath technique is VITAL and standard of care for all patients; OB is no exception. I would love to see stats on post-partum UTI's Kidney infections.......just to see how many who had indwelling or straight cath procedures developed infections that could have been hospital-acquired. It could be sobering. I myself always make sure I am careful cath'ing folks and when I miss the first time, I start fresh with a new kit and gloves to ensure I don't cause an infection. I have actually seen nurses NOT do this and I call them on it later on. No one is perfect, but there is no excuse not to meet standard of care...and I hold myself to it and am the first to self-criticize if I fail to meet it! I am sorry for what you went thru Haze ---what an awful complication in your postpartal period!

[NurseGirlKaren]

Deb--sounds like a great research study!! Are you up to it?