Irrigating a Suprapubic catheter?

[Ash0315]

Ok so I recently started working at ltc, and came across an order to irrigate a suprapubic catheter with 60 cc of sterile water. So I was wondering about that and in nursing school they had a syringe with sw in it already, my facility has a bulb syringe irrigation set. Can someone please explain the steps for bulb syringe irrigation ? I know that you have to take the drainage bag off of the catheter and fill the bulb syringe with sterile water, and put it into the end of the catheter,but do you insert the sterile water and let it flow back into the syringe since it's a bulb? Or do you hold the bulb so the water stays in there and reconnect the drainage bag? Thank you

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Check your facility policy and procedure manual. It might be under irrigating a foley. Are you sure it is a bulb syringe and not a piston syringe??

[Ash0315]

Can someone please explain how to irrigate a Supra pubic catheter with a BULB syringe? Are you supposed to squeeze the bulb and leave it in there or squeeze it and let it come back?

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

As was mentioned in your other post, you should consult your facility's policy and procedure manual. If you cannot find it, you need to ask one of your coworkers/your supervisor.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Both topics merged and moved to LTC nursing.