Catheter care and infection control

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Catheter Care and Infection Control
   1. Meatal Cleansing
   2. Managing drainage systems
   3. Catheter Valves
   4. Taking catheter specimens of urine
   5. Catheter Care Bundles
   6. Troubleshooting catheter problems
   7. Bypassing
   8. Encrustation and blockage
3. Summary
4. References

Troubleshooting catheter problems

Balloon Non-deflation

Indwelling urinary catheters are medical devices and have the potential for mechanical failure. While this is a rare occurrence, due to the robust quality assurance processes employed by manufacturer, faults can occur occasionally. One rare mechanical failure that practitioners should know how to deal with is balloon non-deflation, i.e. the water will not empty from the balloon when catheter removal is attempted.

Task 8

1

Which of the following should never be attempted if the balloon will not deflate? Choose one or more options from the list below and then select Check answer. a) Cut the catheter to allow the water to drain out b) Change the syringe in case this is the faulty item c) Draw back hard on the syringe d) Insert a hypodermic needle attached to a syringe into the inflation arm in case the inflation valve is faulty e) Insert sufficient extra water into the balloon to cause it to burst inside the bladder f) Refer the patient for rupture of the balloon under x-ray or ultrasound guided conditions The correct answers are points a, c and e.

These should never be attempted for the following reasons:

- Cutting the catheter does not always result in water emptying and if the catheter is under tension it can disappear up the urethra so the patient will require removal in the operating department

- Drawing back too hard on the syringe can cause a negative pressure which will collapse the inflation channel

- A few mls of sterile water may be inserted in case a small particle has blocked the inflation channel, but large quantities that cause the balloon to burst should never be used. This would result in free fragment formation within the bladder and the patient would need to have these removed under anaesthetic.