Intermittent Catheterization

[Ferniato]

Hi, I was doing an in and out today on a man and had to get another catheter to redo it. I cleaned the area well prior to the first insertion but not before the second insertion, I’m worried. There was another nurse in the room when I left btw. Was what I did wrong and what do I do about it?

[klone, MSN, RN]

Definitely clean well before each insertion. Do better next time.

[HiddenAngels]

Yea it was def wrong, hopefully pt doesn't get an infection.  I know it gets busy but try to slow down no matter what, especially when you're sticking someone or doing something invasive, clear your mind of everything else.  Allow yourself time.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

In the time you took to get a new catheter and if the patient was just lying there while the other nurse was in the room, I would guess the area was still adequately disinfected and the risk of infection low.  But yes you should have started over.  

[MunoRN, RN]

When you say there was another nurse in the room, if you mean the other nurse ensured that the area remained clean then no, you don't need to start over. 

You would need start over if you can't confirm that the area remained clean while you stepped out to get a new catheter.

[mtmkjr, BSN]

What Muno said. If the area was cleaned well, the first sterile catheter didn't contaminate it. Should have recleaned however, just for the fact that you walked away. Don't take someone else's word that no contamination took place. And recleaning takes so little time and effort

[Queen Tiye, RN]

Sometimes you will have to have a second go at it for various reasons.  Each time you start over reclean, maintain a sterile field and change your gloves.  It's funny to think of how much we go through to cath a patient when many Pts discharge and cath themselves in public restrooms using asepsis, but there is a greater likelihood of transmitting microbes when it's done in the hospital.