Changing Urinary catheters

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I discovered the other day that my facility does not have a policy on changing catheters. So guess what I have to do?!

Trouble is, my old assumptions do not appear to hold any water (no that was not an intended pun). I always thought that the catheter had to be changed q month. Does anyone have any links or info to help me find current guidelines? Thanks in advance.

:)

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The policy in all the home health agencies I've worked for was to change q. month and prn. Some require more frequent changes especially if the urine chronically has a lot of sediment or other debris. Supra-pubic catheters the same. I always change when starting treatment for a UTI or any time it starts looking really grody. But always every month.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

WOCN Clinical Fact Sheet on indwelling catheters

http://www.wocn.org/PDF/C_INDCAT.pdf

Ten Tips for Foley Catheter Use & Care : includes link CEU article

http://nursing.about.com/library/weekly/aa062001a.htm

England: Indwelling urethral catheters.

http://www.nursing-standard.co.uk/archives/vol15-46/pdfs/p4753v15w46.pdf

Google search for INDWELLING URINARY CATHETER MANAGEMENT

http://www.google.com/search?q=indwelling+URINARY+CATHETER+%2B++Nursing+MANAGEMENT+%2B+NURSING+PROCEDURE&hl=en&start=0&sa=N

NIH: Percutaneous Nephrostomy Tube Care

http://www.cc.nih.gov/nursing/nephros.html

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Thank you to all. I appreciate the info!!

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sheila c-----------

where do you work that they don't have a urinary catheter policy in place already...................

all yes, that i have worked with either foley or suprapubic is q mo. and prn..........................

sheila c----------they must need you bad..........and you will do them good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just don't burn yourself out.........

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Our facility's policy... change q 4 to 6 weeks and prn... and most of the time it is hitting the last waning hours of the 6 th week. Laura LPN

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Specializes in SICU.

I've always heard q 1 month and PRN...

Have fun writing that policy, lol... :eek:

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