Irrigating foleys 3x's a day- not sterile!

Specialties LTC Directors

Published

  • Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

We have a pt with chronic blockage in his foley, they doc ordered irrigations 3 times a day- OK. Someone from supplies complained that the staff was using too much supplies for this, so the doc tells the nursing staff on the unit that they need not do the irrigation using sterile technique- the 60cc syringe can be kept in a cup between uses and reused( change once a week), and they can use a one liter bag of saline till its finished, and just clamp it between uses.

This goes against all the training we received. Yet the doc insists its OK.

Am I old-fashioned to expect the irrigation of a foley to be done with sterile equipment?

Also, what do you use to clean the area before inserting the foley (esp when collecting urine for C&S)?

Thanks

morte, LPN, LVN

7,015 Posts

i think i have seen using one "set up" for the whole shift, not so sure about the whole day, and certainly not for a week.....what about a three way foley? that is what this patient really needs

achot chavi

980 Posts

Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

He has a 3 way foley, does that change things in terms of sterility, should we be doing constant irrigations?

How often would you change the 3way foley as they are more expensive etc.

morte, LPN, LVN

7,015 Posts

He has a 3 way foley, does that change things in terms of sterility, should we be doing constant irrigations?

How often would you change the 3way foley as they are more expensive etc.

i will describe what i know......worked long term care....chronic vents....a good portion of which were gtubed and foleyed...(prob. not actual words, but it works, lol)...EVERY foley on these patients was a 3 way, continually conected to the irrigant....but only irrigated qs.......200 ml of NS.......minimal UTIs and extremely rare blockage (if ever, you know the argument about using always/never).....it has been 15 years, so cant be sure if the tubing was used for 2 bags of saline, or changed with ea. anyway, even if changed with ea., it would be perhaps 5 times a week, instead of opening the system 21 times......basically the foleys were left in as long as they were working/to the point looking like they were breaking down.........they may have to order the tubing and irrigant bags for you, but i cant believe that it would be more than the way you were doing it, and better use of nursing time!....good luck

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