Catheter Question

[sweetnurse1]

Please can someone give me step by step on the process of irriating a foley never done it before thanks.

[suebird3]

Post moved for better responses.

Suebird :)

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

I guess if you really wanted to irritate a foley, pull on it real real hard!,, LOL,, sorry couldnt resist.

I assume you are talking about a foley that is in post TURP while CBI's are running to clear clots? That is about the only reason i would know of that a foley would need or would want to irrigate.

Sterile Saline or water, pull 30 to 60 ml into a irrigation syringe. Stop CBI's and disconnect UD bag tubing from the foley. Keeping sterile the end of the tubing. Cap it,, wrap it in sterile towel, whatever to keep it from contamination. Insert the irrigation syringe into the foley and instill the full amount then immediately aspirate what you just instilled. Hopefully, you will clear clots from the bladder and aspirate all the fluid you just instilled back into the syringe. You may need to repeat the procedure a couple times if you are getting clots. Reconnect the UD bag tubing to the foley, open up the CBI's again and let them continue. The same procdure can be done after CBI"s have been disconnected and the urine is showing clots or the foley appears to be clogged.

Just remember it should be done sterile to prevent UTI.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

In LTC pts sometimes you need to irrigate the cath, esp if they have thick urine. The procedure is the same as above. Draw up the sterile water, insert and then I recap and wait for a return. Always check your procedure manual first.

[HappyNurse2005, RN]

I've never irrigated a Foley, per se, but have flushed them to make sure that next to nil urine output is actually next to nil urine output and not an obstruction.

Empty Foley bag

Get syringe wiht 60cc sterile saline.

Disconnect Foley tubing from Foley. Keep sterile

flush saline into Foley, holding it so saline goes back into bladder.

reconnect

check to see if 60cc saline returns quickly

[zacarias, ASN, RN]

Even when I irrigate patent foleys, I've noticed that sometimes I get very little back yet I KNOW they are patent because they still drain urine and my theory is that the pulling back of the syringe might actually collapse the foley or the fluid is hiding somewhere in the bladder and your syringe tip is not there.

Any theories?