Grit in urine bag?

LindaT · 06-07-2010, 12:21 AM

There was some grainy sand gritty stuff in the bottom of Dave's legbag when I emptied it tonight. The suprapubic looks fine and has been draining well. His urine does not smell unusual. He has only had one UTI in the past 18 mo.
We stayed out of town last night and came home today. He drank plenty of fluids. He did have a tall beer which wa sout of the ordinary.
Too late to call our family doctor.
Any advice?

PN · 06-07-2010, 12:33 AM

The last time I had grit (sand like) in my urine, I had bladder and kidney stones. If it doesn't happen again maybe he is okay.

arndog · 06-07-2010, 12:36 AM

It may be okay. It is not uncommon to have some sediment come out occasionally and does not mean there is an infection, especially in the absence of other symptoms with Dave. I intermittent cath and once every month or so I will notice some sediment. So, my advice would be to get a good night sleep and follow up with your urologist or family doctor tomorrow. Can you put the sediment/sample in a specimen cup?

LindaT · 06-07-2010, 01:12 AM

I suppose I could take the legbag in. We have a good family doc, but no urologist. Long story, but we have a hard time getting specialists to see him. It is very frustrating.

SCI-Nurse · 06-07-2010, 01:14 AM

Soft sediment is not of much concern, but if it is gritty like sand, it is indeed little tiny stones (actually called sand by urologists) or small pieces broken off from larger stones. Save some of it in a specimen container and get it to your urologist. They may want to chemically analyze it. If he has not had recent tests for stones (usually ultrasound) throughout the urinary tract, these tests may need to be repeated, and his physician may also want to do a cystoscopy and bladder washout if it appears that this is limited only to the bladder.

(KLD)

LindaT · 06-07-2010, 01:21 AM

Wow! Thanks SCI nurse for the late night reply.
We went to Craig Hospital in Nov and had everything checked over, bladder, kidenys etc. Was fine then, but things change.
I don't even know how they would get Dave on a table to examine. He needs a ceiling lift and sling or else someone who is really good at sliding board. We were trained, but never used to. He is a big guy, C3.
What type of tests would they possibly order and entail?
Am not going to stay awake worrying, but is a concern.
Thanks everyone!

SCI-Nurse · 06-07-2010, 01:27 AM

An ultrasound can sometimes be done in his chair if it fully reclines. Otherwise, the clinic or hospital needs to get a lift to get him onto an exam table. This would be the same if he needs to have a cystoscopy, which would need to be done in an operating room but is usually an outpatient procedure.

Where in MN are you??

(KLD)

LindaT · 06-07-2010, 01:35 AM

We are in . The hospital Dave was in ICU is in . (Don't laugh, we are civilized)
Will call family doc tomorrow. Will see what bag looks like in AM.
I am just worrying. He was in hosp with pneumonia last yr June 8-Aug 4th and not sure I/we will survive another long summer hosp. The docs seemed afraid of him. We nearly lost him and I nearly have post traumatic feels about that miserable stay. We did get him a sip and puff call night. Sorry to ramble.
The ENT acted afraid of Dave. One of our favorite RTs came to appt with us and could not believe it. RTs have been our heros since day 1. (no disrepect to the wonderful nurses-they even had a pizza party for us when he left.)

teena · 06-07-2010, 07:58 PM

Linda, I have had kidney stones in the past, and KLD is right about the fact that it COULD be little stones, or bits of a larger stone that is too big to pass which is breaking off. It sounds like it might need to be checked into. You are right, things change...and with kidney stones the changes come quickly. They also like to get into little hiding places in the kidneys...where they move enough to make you sick, but don't move enough to pass thru with urine. NOT trying to scare you, just telling you the facts that I know from first hand experience...although i obviously am not SCI.

Hope it turns out to be nothing to worry about at all...

Take care, both of you!

Teena

leschinsky · 06-07-2010, 07:58 PM

Linda I get my kidney ultrasound performed in my chair. the techs specify to wear pants without metal. good luck.

06-07-2010, 12:21 AM	#1
LindaT Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: MN Posts: 7,753	Grit in urine bag? There was some grainy sand gritty stuff in the bottom of Dave's legbag when I emptied it tonight. The suprapubic looks fine and has been draining well. His urine does not smell unusual. He has only had one UTI in the past 18 mo. We stayed out of town last night and came home today. He drank plenty of fluids. He did have a tall beer which wa sout of the ordinary. Too late to call our family doctor. Any advice?

06-07-2010, 12:33 AM	#2
PN Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: California Posts: 5,589	The last time I had grit (sand like) in my urine, I had bladder and kidney stones. If it doesn't happen again maybe he is okay. __________________ Rock bottom is relative to how high you bounce when you hit. --General George Patton Complex problems need to be solved collectively. ––Paul Nussbaum usc87.blogspot.com

06-07-2010, 01:35 AM	#8
LindaT Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: MN Posts: 7,753	We are in . The hospital Dave was in ICU is in . (Don't laugh, we are civilized) Will call family doc tomorrow. Will see what bag looks like in AM. I am just worrying. He was in hosp with pneumonia last yr June 8-Aug 4th and not sure I/we will survive another long summer hosp. The docs seemed afraid of him. We nearly lost him and I nearly have post traumatic feels about that miserable stay. We did get him a sip and puff call night. Sorry to ramble. The ENT acted afraid of Dave. One of our favorite RTs came to appt with us and could not believe it. RTs have been our heros since day 1. (no disrepect to the wonderful nurses-they even had a pizza party for us when he left.) Last edited by LindaT; 06-07-2010 at 11:08 PM.

06-07-2010, 07:58 PM	#10
leschinsky Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 12,390	Linda I get my kidney ultrasound performed in my chair. the techs specify to wear pants without metal. good luck. __________________ Embrace uncertainty. Hard problems rarely have easy solutions. Jonah Lehrer Last edited by leschinsky; 06-07-2010 at 10:20 PM.

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06-07-2010, 12:36 AM	#3
arndog Moderator Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: NV Posts: 2,867	It may be okay. It is not uncommon to have some sediment come out occasionally and does not mean there is an infection, especially in the absence of other symptoms with Dave. I intermittent cath and once every month or so I will notice some sediment. So, my advice would be to get a good night sleep and follow up with your urologist or family doctor tomorrow. Can you put the sediment/sample in a specimen cup?

06-07-2010, 01:12 AM	#4
LindaT Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: MN Posts: 7,753	I suppose I could take the legbag in. We have a good family doc, but no urologist. Long story, but we have a hard time getting specialists to see him. It is very frustrating.

06-07-2010, 01:14 AM	#5
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 41,356	Soft sediment is not of much concern, but if it is gritty like sand, it is indeed little tiny stones (actually called sand by urologists) or small pieces broken off from larger stones. Save some of it in a specimen container and get it to your urologist. They may want to chemically analyze it. If he has not had recent tests for stones (usually ultrasound) throughout the urinary tract, these tests may need to be repeated, and his physician may also want to do a cystoscopy and bladder washout if it appears that this is limited only to the bladder. (KLD)

06-07-2010, 01:21 AM	#6
LindaT Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: MN Posts: 7,753	Wow! Thanks SCI nurse for the late night reply. We went to Craig Hospital in Nov and had everything checked over, bladder, kidenys etc. Was fine then, but things change. I don't even know how they would get Dave on a table to examine. He needs a ceiling lift and sling or else someone who is really good at sliding board. We were trained, but never used to. He is a big guy, C3. What type of tests would they possibly order and entail? Am not going to stay awake worrying, but is a concern. Thanks everyone!

06-07-2010, 01:27 AM	#7
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 41,356	An ultrasound can sometimes be done in his chair if it fully reclines. Otherwise, the clinic or hospital needs to get a lift to get him onto an exam table. This would be the same if he needs to have a cystoscopy, which would need to be done in an operating room but is usually an outpatient procedure. Where in MN are you?? (KLD)

06-07-2010, 07:58 PM	#9
teena Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 3,333	Linda, I have had kidney stones in the past, and KLD is right about the fact that it COULD be little stones, or bits of a larger stone that is too big to pass which is breaking off. It sounds like it might need to be checked into. You are right, things change...and with kidney stones the changes come quickly. They also like to get into little hiding places in the kidneys...where they move enough to make you sick, but don't move enough to pass thru with urine. NOT trying to scare you, just telling you the facts that I know from first hand experience...although i obviously am not SCI. Hope it turns out to be nothing to worry about at all... Take care, both of you! Teena

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