a pro catheter view

[Guest guest]

Let me speak out in favor of in-dwelling Foley catheters so that all

readers don't get the idea that there's not a reason to use them on a

regular basis! My Dad has been bladder incontinent since June '05. We

started out using pull-up briefs. (The assisted living center calls them

" briefs, " while we call them " briefs " when speaking with the aides or

" skivvies " when speaking with Dad.) We discovered that the Depends and

store-brand pull-ups held hardly any liquid. So we went to Tena-brand

pull-ups. Then after a month or so, the Tena-brand pull-ups were not

sufficiently absorbent so we transitioned to the side-tape briefs (many

people call these " diapers " ). We conducted experiments and again

determined that the Tena-brand were the most absorbent. Then, a month or

so later, these were not sufficiently absorbent. We tried two briefs. We

tried one brief with two pads. We tried two briefs with one pad. On and

on. It got so out of control that I was doing laundry 3 times a DAY when I

visited. Every time Dad lied down, urine would fine a way out. I became

an expert in quilted pads that go on top of the fitted sheet. That cut us

back to laundering all of the bedding once or twice a day. (Of course we

still had to launder the soiled top pad.) We considered various things --

size of the brief, direction the pns was pointing when the brief was put

on, liquid intake, frequency of " brief checks, " etc. It got so that Dad

would have to be awakened every 1.5 hours so that the brief could be

checked, and he usually had to get out of bed in the middle of the night so

that the aides could change the bedding. I had professional cleaners come

out several times to clean the soiled mattress. Like I said, it was out of

control. In Dec '05 I tried cndm catheters and something called a

retracted pns pouch. Nothin' worked. In Feb '06 as preparation for his

6-month check-up with the family practice doc, I reviewed with Dad the list

of issues I wanted to raise with the doctor. I asked Dad if he wanted to

address the incontinence. He indicated yes. I said that I thought the

doctor would give Dad 2 choices: continue on with the skivvies or try a

catheter. I said he knew what the skivvies were all about. I reminded him

that he had a 10-day experience with a catheter after a prostate

procedure. I reminded him that he described it as painful going in and

uncomfortable to have. I suggested he think about it for a day. He

indicated he didn't need to think about it; he wanted to try the

catheter. The doctor supported this decision. We got the catheter put in

the next day. It was not painful at all going in this time; we found a

great nurse at the University of Utah Medical Center to do it. He told me

in March that he had gotten used to the catheter and didn't notice it any

more. I took him to Acapulco for a week at the end of March. He could

sunbathe comfortably since he didn't have to wear " disposable briefs. " I

got him a special leg bag called a sport bag that is meant to be worn under

shorts or skirts. The only bad thing that happened was in early April I

tried a home health agency (Applegate) for the monthly catheter

change. The RN came to Dad's apartment (in the Assisted Living Center),

did the insertion, and there was immediate pain. The catheter came in and

out, and the balloon went up and down. It was an ordeal! She asserted she

had done everything right. Dad experienced pain attacks over the next few

days. My brother took him to the ER, where the doctor said that the

catheter had not been inserted entirely into the bladder. The balloon was

impinging on the prostate. And the remaining urine in the bladder got

infected. So, Dad decided he didn't want to see " pain lady " any more. I

will visit him in Utah (I live in CA) when he needs the catheter changed

and, of course, take the 3-hour trip required to get him in to see the

" good nurse " at the U. I am confident that if the aides follow the

decontamination procedures laid out for them and if we continue to see the

" good nurse, " we will not have any more infections.

[Guest guest]

I have thought this many times. A lot depends on who is inserting the

catheter, and how scrupulous they are with hygiene.

I have had a catheter for a couple of weeks, and had no problem in that

short time at all. Of course, I realize it was short, and I wasn't laying down

most of the time.

And, I would surmise that a lot has to do with hydration, as well as

personal hygiene. A person having trouble thinking, certainly wouldn't know to

be

careful with touching what itches, etc.

And, another consideration is the position of the bladder. It just may not

be draining properly. That is a huge problem, in that it will cause an

infection very quickly.

Imogene

Caregiver for my True Texas Gentleman husband of 35 years. He has AD and

possibly LBD, is Taking Aricept and Risperdal. Age 72 in May.

In a message dated 4/14/2006 5:44:59 AM Central Daylight Time,

rriddle@... writes:

Let me speak out in favor of in-dwelling Foley catheters so that all

readers don't get the idea that there's not a reason to use them on a

regular basis! My Dad has been bladder incontinent since June '05. We

started out using pull-up briefs. (The assisted living center calls them

" briefs, " while we call them " briefs " when speaking with the aides or

" skivvies " when speaking with Dad.) We discovered that the Depends and

store-brand pull-ups held hardly any liquid. So we went to Tena-brand

pull-ups. Then after a month or so, the Tena-brand pull-ups were not

sufficiently absorbent so we transitioned to the side-tape briefs (many

people call these " diapers " ). We conducted experiments and again

determined that the Tena-brand were the most absorbent. Then, a month or

so later, these were not sufficiently absorbent. We tried two briefs. We

tried one brief with two pads. We tried two briefs with one pad. On and

on. It got so out of control that I was doing laundry 3 times a DAY when I

visited. Every time Dad lied down, urine would fine a way out. I became

an expert in quilted pads that go on top of the fitted sheet. That cut us

back to laundering all of the bedding once or twice a day. (Of course we

still had to launder the soiled top pad.) We considered various things --

size of the brief, direction the pns was pointing when the brief was put

on, liquid intake, frequency of " brief checks, " etc. It got so that Dad

would have to be awakened every 1.5 hours so that the brief could be

checked, and he usually had to get out of bed in the middle of the night so

that the aides could change the bedding. I had professional cleaners come

out several times to clean the soiled mattress. Like I said, it was out of

control. In Dec '05 I tried cndm catheters and something called a

retracted pns pouch. Nothin' worked. In Feb '06 as preparation for his

6-month check-up with the family practice doc, I reviewed with Dad the list

of issues I wanted to raise with the doctor. I asked Dad if he wanted to

address the incontinence. He indicated yes. I said that I thought the

doctor would give Dad 2 choices: continue on with the skivvies or try a

catheter. I said he knew what the skivvies were all about. I reminded him

that he had a 10-day experience with a catheter after a prostate

procedure. I reminded him that he described it as painful going in and

uncomfortable to have. I suggested he think about it for a day. He

indicated he didn't need to think about it; he wanted to try the

catheter. The doctor supported this decision. We got the catheter put in

the next day. It was not painful at all going in this time; we found a

great nurse at the University of Utah Medical Center to do it. He told me

in March that he had gotten used to the catheter and didn't notice it any

more. I took him to Acapulco for a week at the end of March. He could

sunbathe comfortably since he didn't have to wear " disposable briefs. " I

got him a special leg bag called a sport bag that is meant to be worn under

shorts or skirts. The only bad thing that happened was in early April I

tried a home health agency (Applegate) for the monthly catheter

change. The RN came to Dad's apartment (in the Assisted Living Center),

did the insertion, and there was immediate pain. The catheter came in and

out, and the balloon went up and down. It was an ordeal! She asserted she

had done everything right. Dad experienced pain attacks over the next few

days. My brother took him to the ER, where the doctor said that the

catheter had not been inserted entirely into the bladder. The balloon was

impinging on the prostate. And the remaining urine in the bladder got

infected. So, Dad decided he didn't want to see " pain lady " any more. I

will visit him in Utah (I live in CA) when he needs the catheter changed

and, of course, take the 3-hour trip required to get him in to see the

" good nurse " at the U. I am confident that if the aides follow the

decontamination procedures laid out for them and if we continue to see the

" good nurse, " we will not have any more infections.