a better way to collect u/c sample from foley catheter?

[unsaint77]

Our facility usually collect UC sample from foley catheter prior to discontinuing if UTI is suspected. My question is about a better way to collect the sample.

I know I must collect sample from catheter rather than the bag since the urine is old. I disconnect the tubing from the catheter, then I alcohol-wipe the catheter end and put it over collection jar. But usually I have to wait 15 minutes to get 10 ml. I was wondering if I could do the following method to collect instead.

1. empty the urine in the foley tubing into the foley bag.

2. make a "u" shape loop of the tubing so that bottom of the loop is lower than the catheter bag. Fresh urine will be accumulated at the bottom of the tube loop.

3. Once I have enough fresh urine there, I scissor-cut the tubing above the top level of the collected urine.

4. Then the cut end becomes a spout through which I can drain the fresh urine into collection jar.

Why wouldn't this work?

[unsaint77]

Thank you so much for educating me. As you probably notice, i am a new nurse. If you had recognized my recent postings, you would know that my unit is poorly run and has so many things to upgrade.

So, I will use kelly clamp. My one concern is the pointy end of the clamp possibly hurting the pt when the pt moves around or confused pt tries to get up out of bed with the clamp in their groin areas. Some of mini clamps that hardware stores is short enough and has rubber coating (I am including a picture. It's 2" long). They are meant to clamp down hard. So I think that would be better than kelly clamp.

[sauconyrunner]

There are kelly clamps made of plastic that would not hurt the patient. They are made of green plastic- lots of the Dialysis nurses have them.

Just a warning, ANYTHING that is used on a patient had to go through a HUGE review process...which is why it takes months to get new products into a hospital, so don't go buying these clamps and bringing them in. The hospital could get into huge problems is something were to go wrong with them and then it was apparent that they weren't approved.

I really applaud you for thinking about these issues in your unit, and wanting to make improvements!!!! So many times when I need to introduce a change, all the nurses act as if they could care less!!

[CompleteUnknown]

We use plastic G clamps specially designed for catheters, there are no sharp ends or pointy bits. You have to be a bit careful because if you use a clamp with teeth or one that clamps too tight you can damage the catheter so I'd never use something from the hardware store.

If things are grim and there are no clamps available, you can kink the tubing of the catheter bag a few inches below the join and put an elastic band around it to keep it kinked for 20 minutes or so. It doesn't matter if a bit of urine gets through as long as you can get enough for your sample.

[amoLucia]

One comment of cautious advice to anyone thinking of about kinking off the flow of a catheter --- be SUPER DUPER mindful to UNCLAMP & RE-ESTABLISH the flow of the cath. Otherwise, if you forget for any great length of time (like if you go home), the bladder will continue to fill and may result in pt injury. I freq use the kinked tubing/rubber band technique. To remind myself, I put several rubberbands around my wrist - just enough to annoy myself so I don't forget to go back. We nurses are masters of improvisation out of necessity - but we must never forget pt safety.

[xelareinagamutan]

Hi. I am one of the nurses working in a hospital that has a catheter without collection port. So is it right to clamp the rubber just before the balloon port, disconnect the catheter and tube, disinfect rubber, and let it drain into the sterile bottle? Or, in a catheter without collection port, is it alright to, clamp distal the balloon port, disinfect the rubber proximal the balloon port, insert needle of sterile syringe in the rubber itself?