Catheters in Pregnant Pt going for US??

JKL33 · Jan 31, 2011

Nope, we do not do this. It is absolutely uncalled for in a patient who can take p.o. There are limited situations in which it is necessary and lots of others where it is simply a disservice to the patient.

Dazglue, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 1, 2011

That's seems very strange to me! First, in my ED it is not the policy to place Foleys or straight cath pts with a + UCG. Second, why would any facility promote catheterizing a pt unless ABSOLUTELY necessary? Not best practice by any means. No matter how careful you are, there is always a chance of a UTI with any catheterization. Why would we put the pt at risk without a damn good reason, ESPECIALLY a pregnant pt? I don't like that policy at all. I agree, the focus should be educating the pt regarding how to do a clean catch.
Also, I can't imagine the Joint Commission would agree that unnecessarily catheterizing a pt simply because she has a + UCG is best practice, or in line with all known evidence-based practice regarding infection prevention.

Yeah, strange but true.

TravelinCEN · Feb 6, 2011

I had this same issue come up earlier in my career. This practice is completely crazy. I asked multiple times for a written procedure that states that pts going for US need indwelling cath placement prior to transport. No one was ever able to provide me with this.

As previous posts indicate, this is done for ease/time management on the part of the radiologist/Rad Tech. They use this to instill into the bladder rather than to wait for the pt to drink/absorption/filtration/excretion. It is terrible practice, and I can not imagine the iatrogenic infections that have resulted.

But, there was a bigger issue where I was working. It appeared that they were charging the patients for a therapeutic urinary cath, when it was not indicated at all.

Every time I charted one of these procedures, I was worried that I would be pulled into a "Fraud and Abuse" lawsuit from payors.