Catheterization Expiriences

merlee · Dec 10, 2011

I had a pt w/MS (now deceased) whose husband rigged up a bedpan with a U-shaped pillow on it. We placed that under her, and her legs just fell off to the sides. He held the flashlight while I learned to gently pull up on her mons to get better exposure.

Also, I have learned to have some older women lie on their sides, with legs pulled up as high as possible. Have an assistant pull up on the upper leg to reveal the lady partsl area.

Hey - remember to lube the catheter after checking the balloon!!!!

My most memorable cath - - an elderly man w/dementia who had not voided in more than 24 hrs, bladder palpable to nearly his bellybutton. Gathered 5 people to help me with this already combative pt. I whispered in his ear that I was sorry to have to hurt his member, but that he would feel a lot better if I could get the tube in. Could not advance the foley, but managed to get a stiff coude' into his bladder. He never moved!!! We drained 2400 cc's out of him, rigged up the foley bag because I was not able to remove the catheter. Turned out he had a very large bladder stone. He went to the OR later that day. The docs were impressed that I was able to get anything past that stone, and my peers were impressed that my quiet whisper had soothed this man's combativeness.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Dec 10, 2011

You have received excellent advice as to how to approach the cath task.

Please be aware that sometimes.. the patients anatomy will confound you.

For females.. sometimes the urethra is Not visible, it is inside the labia.

For men... there is a stricture.. that may require a coude catheter.. a more forceful approach... or my personal favorite .. a urology consult.

Good luck.

Don't be afraid to get additional help, sometimes cathing a patient takes a village!

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Dec 10, 2011

Some moron ED nurse inflating the balloon on my sphincter, and walking out even though I was wincing and saying "ouch" (SAYING- not yelling, or acting stupid). I had to get it positioned myself- she never did come back to check it. orificewipe. :down:

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Dec 10, 2011

If you get into the lady parts, leave the catheter there- it can help avoid ending up there again:)

(sorry previous poster on page one- didn't see you already mentioned this :)).

leslie :-D · Dec 10, 2011

what are your expiriences during catheterization??????????'
i mean, did you expirience any big complications, any special situations, anegdots etc. while:
doing them?
assisting with them?
having them done on yourself?

i'd like more specifics re your concerns.

what kind of anecdotes are you looking for?

leslie:)

mazy · Dec 11, 2011

i'd like more specifics re your concerns.
what kind of anecdotes are you looking for?
leslie:)

Oh wow. My brain is really fried. I thought "anegdots" was an actual term for a complication, and was reading the thread to learn something about this new and interesting issue that I had never heard of.

I need a nap.

Trekfan · Dec 11, 2011

When I was doing my own foleys I found it much easer to push the foley all the way in to the ridge / bump where the y ( can not think on the name ) that way you know it is in fare anuff before you put the water in the bloone then just pull out the xess

This will not work if you are doing a super pubic one because I have heard they can come out the ureatha .

Also urojet for the super pubic is changing them is 50/10 pain ( oh why oh why did I not

know about this sooner ) also the person may want to pull there own s/p out as they can stop sonner if the pain gets to bad !

student987 · Dec 11, 2011

I just had to cath a pt recently in clinical (I am still a student) and he had a shriveled member (no clue if there is a medical term for that but that is what it looked like.) I was standing there for a few moments staring at the job before my instructor informed me that I had to squeeze his member so that I could see the opening so that I could get it in. I was able to get it in !!!

brillohead, ADN, RN · Dec 11, 2011

Hey - remember to lube the catheter after checking the balloon!!!!

Just FYI, they're teaching us now not to "pre-test" the balloon -- it can enlarge the tube, making insertion more painful, and it hasn't been shown to decrease the number of balloon failures. One less step in a multi-step procedure!

student987 · Dec 11, 2011

Just FYI, they're teaching us now not to "pre-test" the balloon -- it can enlarge the tube, making insertion more painful, and it hasn't been shown to decrease the number of balloon failures. One less step in a multi-step procedure!

FYI I am being taught to check the balloon. In class they said there is controversy and to do what the P and P of where you work says to do and in clinical the nurse said to check it

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Dec 11, 2011

Oh wow. My brain is really fried. I thought "anegdots" was an actual term for a complication, and was reading the thread to learn something about this new and interesting issue that I had never heard of.
I need a nap.

:yeah:

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Dec 11, 2011

FYI I am being taught to check the balloon. In class they said there is controversy and to do what the P and P of where you work says to do and in clinical the nurse said to check it

In school, do what you're told :)

In the real world, check the balloon...if you get Grouchy Demento cathed, blow up the balloon, only to have the whole mess come sliding out, big bummer.... :down: