Foley Irrigation

Chief Medic · Dec 22, 2005

What's your manager's thoughts on this policy?

jamminworld · Dec 22, 2005

Like I said in our hospital we are told that it is an independent nursing action However I am planning on travelling and was wonder what others said.

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Dec 23, 2005

Are you talking just a regular foley catheter or a catheter of a patient who has had a TURP or otherwise possible clots?

We are able to flush foleys if we believe there is a clot or other obstruction blocking drainage. Sterile technique only.

NP2BE · Dec 23, 2005

i seriuosly doubt any dr really wants you to call them to irrigate a foley unless they were admitted for a urological problem

MajorDomo · Dec 23, 2005

In my mind, flushing a foley is under the nursing interventions. Trouble-shooting a problem, like a clogged CL or PEG tube. And if you have to call the Doc, I have always found that they appriciate if you r/o most of the common problems before hand. Exp. UOP down to 10cc/hr, foley flushed w/ 30cc NaCl, and able to aspirate back, bladder scan confirmed

MNlpn · Dec 23, 2005

At the hospital I am currently at we are allowed to irrigate foley's without an order however I was told that this was not an independent nursing action. I attempted to do an online search but wasn't able to come up with an answer So I'm looking to you all to help. Thanks in advance!!

The hospital I work at we nurses routinely irrigate foleys w/out an MD order. It's nursing discretion/judgement.

tkcw_nurse2b · Jan 27, 2006

New nurse here. So can anyone please explained to me in details [if possible] how do you flush a foley catheter.

I have searched the internet and even my nursing books, but I cannot find the steps you take to flush a foley catheter.

Thanks.

KatieBell · Jan 27, 2006

Like I said in our hospital we are told that it is an independent nursing action However I am planning on travelling and was wonder what others said.

You will have to ask at each facility you travel at. Each facility is going to be different.

Lorie P. · Jan 27, 2006

we flush foley's without an order, considered a nursing judgement call. only when we cannot get them to flush or see other problems do we call the doc.

check you facility's policies, always always check policies.

zacarias, ASN, RN · Jan 28, 2006

Generally, if UO is low with a foley, I check to see if there are kinks. If there are none and the pt is draining some urine, I call the doc. I don't wait and irrigate just because I think there might be a clot. Of course if the pt is in for a bladder issue, that is a different subject.

On a different note, last week I had a patient with CBI and manually had to irrigate the foley. I hated it because when you unhooked the foley tubing, sometimes it would splash.

old icu rn · Jan 10, 2011

For low uo in our unit the first thing we do make sure the tubing is straight then irrigate. remenber irrigating a foley is a sterile procedure. you will need an irrigation tray with a bulb syringe, sterile gloves, new bottle of sterile ns,a 2x2, a sterile towel, and a pair of hemastats. first wash your hands and put on nonsterile gloves, open the irrigation tray and the bottle with the sterile ns, take the 2x2 and wrap it around the foley then clamp with the hemastats. take the foley apart from the drainage bag and lay the end on the sterile towel, put on your sterile gloves (it's your choice which hand who want to be the dirty one). with the "dirty" hand fill the irriagtion bottle with ns taking care not to touch the bulb syringe. now with you clean hand fill the bulb syringe from the irrigation bottle. with the dirty hand pick up the end of the foley and with your clean hand place the tip of the bulb syringe into the end of the foley tight. now with your dirty hand unclamp the hemestats and try to flush the foley. if it doesn't flush you need a new foley and watch out when you pull the old one. if it flushes easily connect the foley back to the drainage bad and watch how much you get back. if you are just checking to see if the foley is patent there is an easier way. Access the sampling port on the drainage bag with a 10 -20 cc syringe while clamping off the drainage bag below the port and try to flush. In my icu, flushing a foley is expected.