How much urine to collect when cathing

MrChicagoRN, RN · Mar 25, 2015

What have you found so far?

Tell us what you found and what may be confusing.

gal6767 · Jan 11, 2016

What confused me is that I was told that I'm not supposed to completely empty the bladder. However, my patient has to be cath'd because his bladder doesn't empty all the way.

futurecnm18 · Jan 11, 2016

Collecting too much urine at one time can cause your patient to become hypotensive despite the fact that they cannot empty their bladder.

mysonsmama · Jan 11, 2016

Emptying an over distended bladder too quickly can cause bladder spasms.

Kristenlaurenw · Jan 12, 2016

What mysonsmama said.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2016

Collecting too much urine at one time can cause your patient to become hypotensive despite the fact that they cannot empty their bladder.

Do you become hypotensive when you pee a liter and a half after not having time to go to the bathroom all day? Urine sitting in the bladder is sitting in the bladder. It's not in the vasculature maintaining blood pressure.

Neural · Jan 12, 2016

If you're having to straight cath a person because they cannot pee, you're going to want to empty the bladder completely so that fewer catheterizations are needed, thus limiting the opportunities to introduce bacteria into the bladder and urinary tract.

Karou · Jan 12, 2016

I have heard from urologists that emptying a large amount of urine quickly from a distended bladder can cause bladder spasms and pain. I have also seen urologists insert and drain two liters from a patients bladder though. Some will order a belladonna suppository or something else to help spams that could occur.

gal6767 · Jan 13, 2016

One of my patients has to be cath'd twice a day. He voids first, then I cath him to finish emptying the bladder. However, I have another patient who can go 21 hours without voiding. We cath her after it has been 12 waking hours. Neither, to my knowledge, experience any spasms or BP problems afterwards.