sterile water vs normal saline with bladder irrigation

talaxandra · May 7, 2005

No - because it's hypotonic you can cause cell damage when you irrigate a body cavity (or wound) with water.

OTOH, you have to use saline to inflate a foley bcause the salt can crystallise and prevent balloon deflation.

Seelo · May 8, 2005

No - because it's hypotonic you can cause cell damage when you irrigate a body cavity (or wound) with water.
OTOH, you have to use saline to inflate a foley bcause the salt can crystallise and prevent balloon deflation.

thanks so much for your response....another question for you.....

do you think that even in very small amounts (say 30cc) of a sterile water irrigation soln. entered into the bladder via a foley can still cause a certain degree of cell damage or do you think that this is just when sterile water irrigation are used in large amts? by the way, forgive me for not knowing, but was does OTOH mean? one more thing, although it is rare for this to happen, if the foley bulb that has "sterile water" in it bursts from overinflation or some other cause then do you think there is danger of the 10cc of sterile water entering the system and causing cell damage? YOu would think that if this were the case, then the manufacturer would decide to use a different type of soln. to prep. the foley trays.....just thinking out loud here....please let me know what you think.......thanks

mommatrauma, RN · May 8, 2005

thanks so much for your response....another question for you.....
do you think that even in very small amounts (say 30cc) of a sterile water irrigation soln. entered into the bladder via a foley can still cause a certain degree of cell damage or do you think that this is just when sterile water irrigation are used in large amts? by the way, forgive me for not knowing, but was does OTOH mean? one more thing, although it is rare for this to happen, if the foley bulb that has "sterile water" in it bursts from overinflation or some other cause then do you think there is danger of the 10cc of sterile water entering the system and causing cell damage? YOu would think that if this were the case, then the manufacturer would decide to use a different type of soln. to prep. the foley trays.....just thinking out loud here....please let me know what you think.......thanks

I read an article about a study that was done about using sterile water during cystoscopy rather than NSS...and it basically said because of the small amounts and short exposure time there was less absorption time and therefore no harm was seen...it was in the more prolonged exposure and higher concentrations of absorption that it became dangerous...so likely that 30cc wouldn't make a difference....and I believe that OTOH means "on the other hand"

talaxandra · May 8, 2005

Yes and yes. Thanks, mamatrauma :)

madwife2002, BSN, RN · May 8, 2005

No - because it's hypotonic you can cause cell damage when you irrigate a body cavity (or wound) with water.
OTOH, you have to use saline to inflate a foley bcause the salt can crystallise and prevent balloon deflation.

Here in the UK we only use water to inflate balloon with long/short term indwelling catheter because it is my understanding that sodium chloride can cause the balloon problems????