difficulty removing cath

naugle · 04-06-2009, 09:02 AM

My daughter has a supra pubic cath and has it changed every 5 weeks or so. Many times it is very difficult for the nurse to pull out and there is bleeding. Most always after the procedure she will have a fever for a day which is very very difficult for her due to her MS.

Questions.
II read somewhere on the internet a certain kind of cath tube that the ballon folds better and thus does not prevent a problem when removed.

How long can she go between changing the catherther.

She has had this over a year..should the site have healed by now? It stills drains a little and it not healed but somewhat raw looking.

Any suggestions?

ThomasB · 04-06-2009, 10:01 AM

If there is bladder spasm it can make it worse, needs Ditropan or other medication. Since I only take a small amount of Ditropan and Baclofen normally, I take a bit extra of both, an hour before doing the catheter change to make things easier. Usually this means I just bring my evening dose forward to an hour before the change, which I do in the afternoon.

It can be caused by the deflated balloon being "ridged" i.e. bunching up and catching on the incision as it comes out. One small thing that is said to help a bit is to deflate the balloon 10 mins or so before removing it. The Bardex latex coated catheters have this problem less than the all-silicone ones, in my experience, and that of the urology nurse who changes a lot of them.

My urologist who has a lot of SCI experience says 4 weeks is the absolute maximum between changes.

I think it should be well healed by a year. Mine healed up straight away. I get less discharge by not using a dressing just leaving it open.

Thomas

SCIfor55yrs. · 04-06-2009, 10:55 AM

Five weeks between changes is a bit long. Also, it is important to make sure the balloon is completely deflated before removing it. If you suspect UTIs are causing the fever, I would seriously consider trying a silver coated catheter.

If the drainage is coming from the incision, I would suspect that there is infection. You should raise these issues with your urologist and then get back to the forum.

SCI-Nurse · 04-06-2009, 06:48 PM

Should be changed every 4 weeks. The cahter should be turned a 1/4 turn each or every other day then the balloon won't get lodged and attached to her bladder wall.

CWO

04-06-2009, 09:02 AM	#1
naugle Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Greenville. NC Posts: 26	difficulty removing cath My daughter has a supra pubic cath and has it changed every 5 weeks or so. Many times it is very difficult for the nurse to pull out and there is bleeding. Most always after the procedure she will have a fever for a day which is very very difficult for her due to her MS. Questions. II read somewhere on the internet a certain kind of cath tube that the ballon folds better and thus does not prevent a problem when removed. How long can she go between changing the catherther. She has had this over a year..should the site have healed by now? It stills drains a little and it not healed but somewhat raw looking. Any suggestions?

04-06-2009, 10:01 AM	#2
ThomasB Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 68	If there is bladder spasm it can make it worse, needs Ditropan or other medication. Since I only take a small amount of Ditropan and Baclofen normally, I take a bit extra of both, an hour before doing the catheter change to make things easier. Usually this means I just bring my evening dose forward to an hour before the change, which I do in the afternoon. It can be caused by the deflated balloon being "ridged" i.e. bunching up and catching on the incision as it comes out. One small thing that is said to help a bit is to deflate the balloon 10 mins or so before removing it. The Bardex latex coated catheters have this problem less than the all-silicone ones, in my experience, and that of the urology nurse who changes a lot of them. My urologist who has a lot of SCI experience says 4 weeks is the absolute maximum between changes. I think it should be well healed by a year. Mine healed up straight away. I get less discharge by not using a dressing just leaving it open. Thomas Last edited by ThomasB; 04-06-2009 at 10:09 AM.

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04-06-2009, 10:55 AM	#3
SCIfor55yrs. Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 5,252	Five weeks between changes is a bit long. Also, it is important to make sure the balloon is completely deflated before removing it. If you suspect UTIs are causing the fever, I would seriously consider trying a silver coated catheter. If the drainage is coming from the incision, I would suspect that there is infection. You should raise these issues with your urologist and then get back to the forum.

04-06-2009, 06:48 PM	#4
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 41,345	Should be changed every 4 weeks. The cahter should be turned a 1/4 turn each or every other day then the balloon won't get lodged and attached to her bladder wall. CWO