Texas Cath ?

[laurainri]

I started careing for a man at his home a few days a week during the school year. In the afternoons I need to d/c the foley and put a texas cath on him. I am having a really hard time putting it on because the adhesive is sticking to my gloves and not where it is supposed to. Do you need to keep gloves on because of possible contact with body fluids? Or is it acceptable to take them off when you are applying one? Please let me know what you think.

Thank you

[merCful]

Hi Laura,

I'd keep my gloves on for this procedure. But then, I'm a germaphobe. You probably can remove the glove on your dominant hand after application of the condom. Then hold up the member with your non-dominant gloved hand and place adhesive on the condom at the base of member with your dominant hand.

[LovebugLPN]

I am sure your instructors will tell you to keep your gloves on. You need to ask them. But I do agree with you that sticking to condom caths would be annoying.

[laurainri]

I am sure your instructors will tell you to keep your gloves on. You need to ask them. But I do agree with you that sticking to condom caths would be annoying.

I have to do this when I am not in school. I take care of a gentleman at his home on the weekends. His nurse that orientated me kept his gloves on when he did it. Then his father was seeing that I had issues so he said to do it without the gloves that it would be easier. But that is his father so he can do it without gloves but can a nurse do the same? I am more concerned about the bodily fluid contact, not touching a member with my bare hands. So anybody else have a suggestion?

[IrishIzCPNP, MSN, RN, APRN, NP]

I would not do it with my bare hands. No way.

They are very hard to put on. I have no suggestions because it took 3 of us to get one on a patient last weekend...that includes 2 students and 1 instructor. The darn thing just didn't want to go on.

[laurainri]

lol... the darn things are soooo sticky!!

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

I add th euse of bezoin to keep them on, but don't have any real problems getting them on...

Use gloves. Place youe non-dominant hand at the base of his member and push back slightly. Take the condom cath and put the tip of it onthe tip of the member and push it on, then take your hand and start rolling the cath from behind, until it goes all the way on. Your hand shouldn't really touch much of the sticky part. Like I said, I actually put benzoin on the member as well...

[pickledpepperRN]

Benzoin really helps.

I put it on before taping an NG tube or ET tube too.

[laurainri]

Benzoin really helps.

I put it on before taping an NG tube or ET tube too.

what is benzoin? I have to be really carefull what I use on this guy. He is cathed every day so he is at a very high risk of infection and I'm sure when the dad does it at night he is not using sterile technique.

[pickledpepperRN]

Since the patient is being catheterized the benzoin may make it more difficult to remove the external, or condom catheter.

Tincture of Benzoin is an antiseptic, skin protective over the counter liquid medication that helps when using tape and other adhesives (such as on a condom catheter = external catheter. It protects the skin and enhances adherence.

http://www.brucemedical.com/bentin.html

We have a standard procedure at our hospital for application of an external catheter (large is called Texas, small Rhode Island). It is not good to use slang instead of accurate terms but they have been doing it here long before I came to my hospital 30 years ago.

I wouldn’t use it without a written procedure or an order. Are you working for an agency with an RN available to ask? I would keep the gloves on.

[laurainri]

Now isn't that a cute one: large cath ='s texas.... small='s rhode island ....lol I gues that is why here in rhode island I have never heard that the small external cath had that nickname. lol Thank you everybody for all your help.

Laura