I NEED ADVICE on URINARY CATHETERS

Specialties NICU

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  • What antiseptic is everyone using for insertion of urinary catheters? Betadine? Chloraprep? CHG handsoap?

  • For daily care, just baby soap and water like a bath, or more antiseptic?

  • Also, is anyone using an actual Foley catheter and blowing up the balloon? Traditionally we have used feeding tubes and just secured them externally. But we now have Foleys (with balloons) down as small as 6 French. I am concerned about the safety of blowing up the balloon. Am I just an old overcautious nurse? :) Thanks for your help.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

  • What antiseptic is everyone using for insertion of urinary catheters? Betadine? Chloraprep? CHG handsoap? You should only use betadine because of the mucus membranes
  • For daily care, just baby soap and water like a bath, or more antiseptic? We only bath our kids, unless they are a big stinky chronic kiddo, 2x per week with weights. We just use baby soap when we do. We have used antimicrobial soap on kids greater than 1500 grams when we have an MRSA outbreak per our ID policy.

  • Also, is anyone using an actual Foley catheter and blowing up the balloon? Traditionally we have used feeding tubes and just secured them externally. But we now have Foleys (with balloons) down as small as 6 French. I am concerned about the safety of blowing up the balloon. Am I just an old overcautious nurse? :) Thanks for your help We routinely use uricath sets that do not have a balloon, but we have used a foley on some full term kids and use 0.5ml to inflate the balloon. We never use them on the smaller kids.

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Specializes in NICU.

  • what antiseptic is everyone using for insertion of urinary catheters? betadine? chloraprep? chg handsoap? betadine

  • for daily care, just baby soap and water like a bath, or more antiseptic? we bath 3 time a week tuesday, thursday & sunday evenings - just sterile water for the itty bitty babies, bath in a bag otherwise or baby soap if a big stinky chronic

  • also, is anyone using an actual foley catheter and blowing up the balloon? traditionally we have used feeding tubes and just secured them externally. but we now have foleys (with balloons) down as small as 6 french. i am concerned about the safety of blowing up the balloon. am i just an old overcautious nurse? so far we use feeding tubes and secure them externally, but i know they are looking at the policy again.

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