[popsune]

Is it the case that using self-cathetherisation method to drain urine, it is not possible to completely empty the bladder of urine?

If it is unable to completely empty the urine through cathetherisation, will there be ill effects?

[Kwag_Myers]

What's your injury level and what type of catheter are you using?

[nomis]

In normal situations a catheter should drain all urine from the bladder and should do so very efficiently.
Any urine not drained is an increased risk to infection. Preferably it should be fully emptied and anything over 50mlls residual is of major concern.

[popsune]

Kwag_Myers, on Aug 1 2008, 03:16 AM, said:

What's your injury level and what type of catheter are you using?

My injury is in 2003, L3 and L5 burst fracture. I'm using the normal cathether size 10.

nomis, on Aug 1 2008, 09:06 AM, said:

In normal situations a catheter should drain all urine from the bladder and should do so very efficiently.
Any urine not drained is an increased risk to infection. Preferably it should be fully emptied and anything over 50mlls residual is of major concern.

How do I know if the bladder is emptied or not? Is it when the urine stops draining?

[Kwag_Myers]

I use an intermittant cath. Generally, I wait until the flow stops and push the cath in just a little (sometimes the cath gets pushed out), then pull it out slowly for the first inch or so. Quit often I get more that way.

[Lucydog]

If you are using a size 10, then thats pretty small for an adult and is usually considered a paediatric size. You might want to up to a 12, that way the flow will increase a bit. I was taught that after the flow has stopped, withdraw about an inch and that way the rest can come out. If you are female there can be a problem sometimes if your bladder is at a bit of an angle, so stopping complete emptying, but your urologist would be able to investigate this further. Im told its pretty rare.
cheers
L

[popsune]

Lucydog, on Aug 2 2008, 02:21 AM, said:

If you are using a size 10, then thats pretty small for an adult and is usually considered a paediatric size. You might want to up to a 12, that way the flow will increase a bit. I was taught that after the flow has stopped, withdraw about an inch and that way the rest can come out. If you are female there can be a problem sometimes if your bladder is at a bit of an angle, so stopping complete emptying, but your urologist would be able to investigate this further. Im told its pretty rare.
cheers
L

Hi, doctor told me that a smaller size cathether can reduce the trauma of inserting the cathether into the urinary tract.

It seems to me that when my urine stops draining, there'll still be some draining after a while, but it is intermitent and tiny amounts of urine.

[Kwag_Myers]

Just pull the cath out slowly, like Lucydog said. If you're still not sure you got it all, push it back in and pull it out slowly again.