im a student but....

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I need help!!! i posted this in student part but nobody knew the answer.

im in my sophomore yr of nursing school and we are assinged out first patient .we need to know like everything about them....why they are in each med and every thing about their meds.

My pt. is a 50 y/o male with M.S. he is quad. palegic. He has a foley and is on preventative UTI treatment. He is also on Lasix for Lower extremity edema. however; he is also on detrol.....i guess my question is

Why is he on detrol if he is on lasix AND has a catheter? Detrol like makes you not go so much but why would it matter if he had a catheter and was quad palegic? cause its not like he has to be taken to the bathroom or has to get up to go....

only thing i can think of is the Lasix makes him have the urge to go alot more, and maybe detrol helps decline that urge??

Seems like a simple question, but i'm learning :-p

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Specializes in M/S, Tele, Peds, ER.

It was probably on his home medications list and was continued by the doc on admission.

When they put him on lasix, they probably put in the cath to make life easier for the patient, and to accurately measure I&O's. The Detrol may have just never been addressed to be discontinued....cuz well its not gonna hurt anything.

However, theory #2, having a catheter in gives some people the constant feeling of having to go... detrol may help alleviate this unpleasant feeling by relaxing the muscles. Though its not its label-use, it may be why they decided not to discontinue it.

To answer the question, you've gotta know whether he was on it at home already and it was continued in the hospital, or if it was added in the hospital as part of the treatment. Either way, theres my 2 cents :)

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Specializes in M/S,LTAC, ER-not exactly specialized.

What do his labs look like before and after starting Detrol? Maybe the Lasix is effecting his electrolytes?? I really don't know, only a guess.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Detrol can help with the spasms often felt when people have a catheter put in place. Makes it much more comfortable to deal with.

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Specializes in OB, MS, Education, Hospice.

Spasticity is a fairly common problem for quads--many are on baclofen pumps for muscle spasticity, and Detrol for bladder spasms.

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