HINT: How to maintain an indwelling urinary catheter to prevent infection?
Connected Care Quick Hits are up to date and evidence based recommendations for the care of children with medical complexity & technology dependence, from hospital to home.
HINT: How to maintain an indwelling urinary catheter to prevent infection?
SITUATION:
This QuickHiT comes from questions from community/home care providers regarding the routine maintenance of indwelling urinary catheters.
BACKGROUND:
A urinary catheter is a thin tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.
Indwelling urinary catheters are uncommon in home care, compared to the more commonly used intermittent catheterization (in-and-out). Indwelling catheters require specific routine care to maintain cleanliness and prevent infection, otherwise known as Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI).
ASSESSMENT:
A child with an indwelling catheter is at risk for developing a CAUTI. It is important that the community/home care providers perform frequent assessments for signs and symptoms of infection.
Symptoms of a Urinary Tract Infection may include
Fever
Unexplained fussiness in a baby or young child
Vomiting or abdominal pain
Back pain
Blood in the urine
Change in colour or smell of urine
Presence of sediment in urine
If the child develops any of these symptoms or there is a concern for infection, speak with the family caregiver and consider seeking medical attention.
RECOMMENDATION:
When caring for a child with an indwelling catheter, partner with the family caregiver to determine how routine catheter care is integrated into their daily care. Ensure there is a medical order for the catheter placement.
To prevent Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections in children with indwelling catheters, Connected Care recommends the following routine care elements:
For more information on urinary catheterization in children visit AboutKidsHealth
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