The procedure for catheterization is the process of inserting a catheter into the natural cavity of the body (in this case, the bladder through the urethra). A catheter is a hollow inside tube - plastic, rubber or metal.
Indications for bladder catheterization
Manipulation of the catheterization of the urinary bladder is carried out in order to:
- make a bladder rinse in order to remove the pus, the decay products of small stones or tissues, before carrying out cystoscopy;
- withdraw urine from it with chronic delay; inflammation in the urinary tract, with vesicoureteral reflux;
- insert the drug into the bladder for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes;
- extract urine from the urinary bladder for analysis ;
- determine the volume of residual urine;
- perform an operation under epidural anesthesia or anesthesia;
- withdraw urine from spinal patients who have a disruption in the pelvic organs.
The technique of performing a bladder catheterization and the instruments used
The main instrument for this procedure are catheters.
For the procedure, as a rule, catheters 16-20 are used. Catheters made of plastic, metal or rubber are subject to mandatory sterilization within half an hour.
Elastic catheters are also used. They are sterilized in a solution of mercuric oxycyanide. Elastic tissue catheters are sterilized in formalin pairs.
Before the procedure, the health worker should treat the hands, washing them first with soap and then wiping with alcohol. The hole of the woman's urethra is treated with a cotton ball soaked in a disinfectant solution.
Directly the process of placing the catheter in the bladder in women is not particularly difficult.
- With fingers of the left hand the medical worker pushes the woman's labia.
- Then, the catheter pretreated with vaseline or glycerin is inserted smoothly with the right hand into the opening of the urethra. When urine appears, this indicates that the catheter has reached the bladder.
- If there are difficulties with the introduction of the catheter, then a smaller diameter catheter should be used.
- Then the catheter must be connected to the drain.
- After the urine ceases to leave, the health worker may press a little on the area of the bladder through the abdominal wall to excrete the remains of urine.
If the purpose of the procedure was to measure the amount of residual urine, then the isolated urine is poured into a measuring container. If the manipulation pursued the goal of instillation, then, by introducing the drug, the catheter is removed. At catheterization for the purpose of drainage of the bladder, saline is injected into the balonchik at the end of the catheter.
Consequences and complications after catheterization of the bladder
If the bladder is insufficiently filled, the wall of the bladder may be damaged. To prevent this from happening, the health worker should perepukutirovat the bladder in the suprapubic region.
Another serious complication is an ascending infection, for the prevention of which the medical staff conducting this manipulation should follow the rules of antiseptic and septic.
With frequent catheterization, women may also develop urethral fever, which is manifested by an increase in temperature due to absorption of infected contents through damage to the woman's urethral mucosa. Therefore, before the catheter is removed, a disinfectant solution is injected into the bladder or antibiotics are administered.