Filling baldder for Ultrasound...do you

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cath the pt and fill their bladder with ns?

we stopped doing thas about 4 years ago where i worked, as there was enough support that we were increasing uti risk, and making a pt with pelvic pain even more uncomfortable.

we changed to giving 1 L ns iv,bladder scan after, and call for us if scan was over 250.

what is everyone else doing?

THANKS

Never fill with NSS. Use sterile water. Your bladder is sterile. Scan to see how much fluid is already in the bladder.

I normal person feels the urge to urinate at around 300cc.

I fill mine to about 200cc or if the patient startes to feel uncomfortable.

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Never fill with NSS. Use sterile water. Your bladder is sterile. Scan to see how much fluid is already in the bladder.

I normal person feels the urge to urinate at around 300cc.

I fill mine to about 200cc or if the patient startes to feel uncomfortable.

so you're still doing this? what state/area are you practicing in?

you can rest assured though, the nss i have used was sterile as well.

thanks!

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Specializes in Long Term Care.

Tridil,

Are you performing the ultrasound or are you supposed to be prepping the patients for the ultrasonographers?

Are you a Nurse or a technician?

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Specializes in Trauma/ED.
Never fill with NSS. Use sterile water. Your bladder is sterile. Scan to see how much fluid is already in the bladder.

I normal person feels the urge to urinate at around 300cc.

I fill mine to about 200cc or if the patient startes to feel uncomfortable.

NS is also sterile and would not cause as much ion shift as sterile water would...but still think the practice sounds barbaric.

I know that in our ED we always send our pt's to U/S with a Foley...never thought about why because I've actually never been the one putting one in (usually have enough female nurses around to do those). We have an agreement, unless code or trauma of course, that the girls do the girls and the boys do the boys (unless pt is too young or old to know what I'm doing to them)...we just see it as a courtesy.

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Specializes in ER/PDN.

we do transvag when we can and put a foley in when we can't. We are doing more transvag us than we used to. I have been in the ER for almost 2 years and I can count on one hand the foleys I have placed in the last couple of months, which is great. I am glad I don't have to place a foley EVERY SINGLE TIME I have a patient going for an US. Some of our belly pains don't get an IV (dr preference) and oral hydration is out because of possibility of surgery so This is the way we go. I have a lot of women that have never had a foley and are afraid.

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We routinely cath them and ultrasound fills their bladder with NS. I hate doing it! But on night shift, US won't even come in when called unless the pt. had a foley in place. I hate telling a petient having a miscarriage that I have to foley them. Like these people aren't in enough pain and anguish as it is!

Elizabeth, RN

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Ive actually had both done, it depends on the test. Had a voiding cystogram and was cathed and filled, had an ultra sound and had to drink before test. if its in the ER we usually give IV or cath in this situation for NPO

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Specializes in M/S, home health, LTC, rehab/orth.

They put in a cath and filled my bladder back about 4 1/2 years ago when I was first pregnant with my second daughter. I was bleeding and cramping and they suspected a possible ectopic. One of the most miserable experiences of my life! It was beyond uncomfortable, it was painful to have my bladder filled so much and then have them doing internal and external ultrasounds. Then they told me they didn't think my baby was a viable fetus. This was a friday night and I had to wait til monday morning to see my OB and find out that the baby was fine and heart was beating. She is now a healthy 3 1/2 year old. That was horrible. I'm glad they don't do that anymore. In fact when I've had translady partsl ultrasounds since, they have had me empty my bladder.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
They put in a cath and filled my bladder back about 4 1/2 years ago when I was first pregnant with my second daughter. I was bleeding and cramping and they suspected a possible ectopic. One of the most miserable experiences of my life! It was beyond uncomfortable, it was painful to have my bladder filled so much and then have them doing internal and external ultrasounds. Then they told me they didn't think my baby was a viable fetus. This was a friday night and I had to wait til monday morning to see my OB and find out that the baby was fine and heart was beating. She is now a healthy 3 1/2 year old. That was horrible. I'm glad they don't do that anymore. In fact when I've had translady partsl ultrasounds since, they have had me empty my bladder.

I had a similar experience with an actual tubal pregnancy. The most painful part of the entire ordeal was the insertion of the Foley and the filling of my bladder for the U/S. The post-op pain paled in comparison. That was 12 years ago, and I'm glad to hear that this practice is falling by the wayside.

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Specializes in Long Term Care.

It appears, according to the OP, that this practice is still enforce with some older, less educated ultrasound technicians. That is unfortunate b/c there is significant damage that can be done by filling the bladder via clamped foley, esp in cases of ectopic pregnancy and abdominal trauma.

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