Bladder Retention/urine infections

[Susi T]

Evening All

Dad is at A&E for the second time in 2 weeks. He has had a catheter over 8 months now, he does fiddle with it from time to time and he has had urine infections before however, last week he had blood in his bag which kept him in hospital for a night ( he wouldn't let anybody near to check blood pressure or reinsert the catheter and started to strip off), eventually a catheter was replaced and he was sent back to the Assessment Centre with antibiotics for an infection. He is back at A&E again tonight this time there are concerns over the amount of fluid in catheter bag, it has been mentioned before that his bladder goes into retention. Has anyone any info on this? Is it due to Dad's illness or are there other reasons?

Thanks for any info

Sue X

 

[LIZ50]

Hi Sue
I used to have a lot of problems with Mum's catheter and urine retention. No matter how many times I told her that she had a bag and could 'go' at any time she found it really difficult to release her bladder and the only time there was no problem was when she was sleeping. Sometimes she held her bladder so much that she became all sweaty and agitated. I lost count of the number of times I had to call out the nurse due to problems with the catheter (blood in urine; tube pulled out; no urine etc) and found myself apologising to the nurse for calling them out so often but they never minded.
Finally, after a few months of this happening and when the nurse was visiting again to put a new tube in (as, yet again, the other one had come out) I asked if the catheter could be taken out permanently and was told that it would be too much extra work for me (with pads and toilet trips etc). Anyway, after a few hours of that visit Mum again pulled the tube out and by that time I was so fed up with the whole business I just left it out. From that moment on Mum became much happier and apart from the occasional accident (when she left it too late or forgot where the toilet was!) managed very well and just had a pad at night-time with a commode. I sometimes wonder if Mum was trying to tell me that she didn't like the catheter but couldn't find the right words to let me know. I can only surmise!
I'm not saying this is the same for your Dad, Sue, but if it is possible for the catheter to be removed, maybe it might be worth giving it a go. Good luck!
Love Liz xx

 

[Susi T]

Thanks for that Liz, following on from Dad's appointment with the Urology consultant in June it was decided to leave the catheter in, he has prostrate issues as well.

 

[terry999]

Liz - I'm a fit young man and had a catheter after an op. They are horrible things. In fact so determined not to have one - I actually hurt myself straining so much trying to prove to the staff I could go without one inserted.

Anyway lifting me upright made it much easier to go.

Just an idea thought about replicating as much as poss what Parents are used to w.r.t toilet. I.e. used to get out of bed on right turn left to get to toilet.

Nightlight, or one of those professional WC signs could be helpfull.

Its just my mum is v.confused doesn't know where her room is now. Get her there and she'll automatically switch off the light - the switch is quite hard to find. Its just its been 40 yrs in same house and nothing has changed - its sort of hardwired into her. Thats why I've not changed any locations of stuff when I've updated toilet/bathroom and kitchen.

 

[citybythesea]

Susi,

I'm not a dr. so let me just give you my experience and the layman knowledge I do have from working with some dr.s.

Mom had a catheter for the last 2 or 3 months of her life. Initially she went into the hospital for a bladder that retained. Easter weekend her stomache had bloated so bad she looked 7 months pregnant. She was not urinating and talking to the nurses we were trying to avoid the hospital as it causes problems with apprehension. I would move her onto her side back onto her back and even palpatate her lower abdomen to get just a minute of fluid out. Monday I had an RN out to look at her and it was discussed to put her on an antibiotic. By Wednesday noon she was having hot and cold sweats and her fever spiked. I called the nurse back the nurse that came took her bllod pressure and it was extremely low....call was made to have her rushed to the hospital. At the hospital they catheterized her and took 3 liters of urine off her bladder. She was on some major iv antibiotics and by Friday it was agreed she would be able to go home if she peed on her own.
That never happened. Saturday morning they reinserted her catheter and once again took about a liter this time. A geriatric urologist was called in. At this point he explained 3 things to me. Some of them I knew others I did not. They are...1)...when a catheter is inserted there is a much higher rate of bladder infections, especially in women as everything is down there and uncleanliness creeps up into the bladder and causes infections...e.coli is the main culprit. He also explained that no matter how clean it was kept there would always be infections. She would always be on a maintenance antibiotic to combat them. 2)...He explained that sometimes when a person has a stroke the part of the brain that tells the bladder to work quits telling the bladder to work (Hence the reason her stomache became distended) In a non AZ patient over time the brain might go back to telling the bladder what to do and almsost always does, but not so wit AZ. 3) Once an AZ patient is put on a catheter for whatever reason dr.s really don't want to take the catheter out....it makes life so much easier for the main caregiver. At that point Dr.s also want to give the caregiver to a latestage AZ patient a little relief and it does to an extent.

I know that this was long and I am sorry, but I wanted to impress on you that beefore you go taking it out you may want to explore exactly why it was inserted, because that retention can go septic, I would also like to impress on you that once a catheter is inserted it is very hard for a person to control what goes out the bladder. If he's having retention he may not be releasing that much liquid or there may be an obstruction there also. Just a thought and I hope you get it all figured out.


HUGS

Nancy

 

[Susi T]

Thank you for all your comments, I spoke to the doctor on A&E and the problem was a faulty balloon, apparently there was fluid in the balloon! Dad was taken back to the Assessment Centre last night and is doing nicely. I do worry more than ususal when he has to go to Hospital, I know he doesn't like going there.

Thanks once again.


Susi