FoleyCatheters-NotesonICUNursing.docVIP

Foley Catheters December 2005 This is the second article of a series that we hope to bring out, on subjects for new grads in the ICU - topics that seem simple, but which actually aren’t. Lots of things in the ICU will suddenly sit up and bite your head right off if you don’t use them correctly, and the humble foley catheter is absolutely one of them. As with NG tubes, they have to go in the right way, to the right place, stay in for a certain amount of time, have problems that you do need to think about, and complications that do happen. As always, please remember that these articles are not the final word on anything! They are only meant to reflect the experience of a couple of very elderly ICU nurses (. Always check with your own resources and authorities on ANY question you might have. And when you find errors, omissions, or anything else just wrong – let us know? Thanks! Special thanks for an editorial review go out on this one to our newest consulting “recent-grad-wizardess”, Nurse Ruthie, our own oldest child. What a world ( …!! What is a Foley catheter? Is a Foley sterile or not? How do I know if my patient should have one? What size catheter should I put in my patient? What if my patient is latex allergic? What are the lumens for? What is the balloon for? How is a Foley catheter inserted in a male? In a female? What if it won’t go in? How do I know if it’s in the right place, and I can inflate the balloon? Something INCREDIBLY important… What is a coudé catheter? What is a suprapubic catheter? How do I attach the outside part of the catheter to the patient? How do I work the urine-measuring thing? What if I’m giving my patient Lasix? How long can a Foley catheter stay in? Should they be routinely changed? What is “catheter care”? What is a Texas (condom) catheter? Our invention… What is a 3-way Foley catheter? What are bladder irrigant drips all about? What is a Murphy drip? Can bladder irrigant drips go on a pump? What can I do if the catheter