labor/postpartum UTI

[adpiRN]

Having one of those new nurse days where I obsess about every mistake.

I'm stressing about my (lack of) aseptic technique during foley insertion, b/c I started touching some equipment on my tray before putting on my sterile gloves. eek! Now after my shift I'm obsessing about the chances I gave her a UTI.

2 things that are making me feel better are the fact that we use the silver coated foleys that are supposed to prevent infection.

And that the pt was already getting lots of penicillin IV for GBS. Would this also help prophylactically for UTI? (or am I just telling myself that to make myself feel better...)

It got me thinking that UTIs must be very common in postpartum with all the foleys and general trauma in that area during childbirth.

It's not something we deal with in L&D, but do postpartum nurses see a lot of UTI symptoms a few days after birth? Do PP nurses assess for this regularly?

[Stacy in North Texas]

I'm saying this with love from an "old " nurse to a new one, okay? You do realize you should have discarded that foley kit when you broke aseptic technique, don't you? You should not have inserted that foley. It's okay to get another one if it gets contaminated. That being said, your pt will probably be okay. There are not A LOT of postpartum UTI's, but they do happen sometimes. Do not obsess any longer, lesson learned. Good luck to you in L&D, that's where I started out as a new grad.:loveya:

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

Agree. We do assess for it, but it is really rare. I've done postpartum for 4+ years now and can count on one hand the number of UTIs I've seen, out of all the foleys/I&Os they get in L&D. I'm certain the technique is not sterile 100% of the time, as much as we all try.

If you had to go back and do it again, you'd do differently, right? Then don't worry about it and save it in your 'note to self' file. :)