Foley balloon issues

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Specializes in Private Duty, L&D.

I'm a private duty RN taking care of a patient with an indwelling Foley. He uses an 18 French with a 5 cc balloon filled with 10 cc. He leaks constantly. Sometimes we check the balloon and only pull out 7 cc when we KNOW 10 cc went into the balloon initially. Where the heck are these 3 cc going?

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

If you put in 10 and later draw out only 7 then you clearly have a small leak.

Just curious: Why are you overfilling the 5 cc balloon and not just using a 10 cc balloon. Overfilling puts more stress on the device and will likely reduce its functional life.

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Specializes in Private Duty, L&D.

There is absolutely NO leak in any of the balloons. It has happened over and over with cathethers of different lot numbers. Put in 10cc, check it because its leaking and only pull out 7 cc. Why would the amount shrink without leaking? We just don't understand it. Hoping to find some answers here.

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Specializes in Private Duty, L&D.
If you put in 10 and later draw out only 7 then you clearly have a small leak.

Just curious: Why are you overfilling the 5 cc balloon and not just using a 10 cc balloon. Overfilling puts more stress on the device and will likely reduce its functional life.

Oh, and the balloon is not overfilled. Its a 5 cc balloon and the mfg recommends 10 cc to fill this balloon, as is the doctor's orders from urology. We do it per order.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

How long after do you check the balloon? I was always taught that anything inserted that has a balloon that has to be filled has to be checked daily and refilled if necessary, because a certain amount will evaporate.

That is more reasonable than a whole batch of leaky foley's.

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Specializes in Private Duty, L&D.
How long after do you check the balloon? I was always taught that anything inserted that has a balloon that has to be filled has to be checked daily and refilled if necessary, because a certain amount will evaporate.

That is more reasonable than a whole batch of leaky foley's.

hhmmm, evaporation! That makes sense to me. We don't check it daily but perhaps we should look into that and get an order. Thanks much!!

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
hhmmm, evaporation! That makes sense to me. We don't check it daily but perhaps we should look into that and get an order. Thanks much!!

You are welcome...we actually just had an in-service on this very issue.

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Oh, huh. BabyLady, good idea, thanks as well for that tip!

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

I'm having trouble with the idea of evaporation through the wall of the catheter. My thought is that a small amount may seep through the fill valve.

Also, I was taught that the baloon is only to maintain position and it's up to the urethra walls and urinary sphincter to seal against the outside of the foley to prevent leakage. If he or she leaks, use a bigger catheter. That only applies as long it's not my ***** you're hosing, though.:eek:

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
I'm having trouble with the idea of evaporation through the wall of the catheter. My thought is that a small amount may seep through the fill valve.
I don't think the liquid is vaporizing at any significant rate at 37C and 101kPa so "evaporation" is probably not the right term. More likely than leaking through the valve, though, would be small amounts of water diffusing through the very thin latex (?) membrane.

I'm curious: OP, over how long a time period are you noting the 3-cc drop in volume?

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

Starting with a new foley, the baloon and the path to it are completely empty/dry. I'd be interested in filling a new ballon, then immediately withdraw the fluid. Betting you wouldn't get the full 10cc out.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
I don't think the liquid is vaporizing at any significant rate at 37C and 101kPa so "evaporation" is probably not the right term. More likely than leaking through the valve, though, would be small amounts of water diffusing through the very thin latex (?) membrane.

I'm curious: OP, over how long a time period are you noting the 3-cc drop in volume?

Exactly...I would agree that evaporation is probably not the right word either.

We use a lot of Mic-key buttons in our unit that also have a balloon to keep them in place and we check these on night shift to make sure they have the same amt of NS.

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