Algorithm Proposal to Remove a Non-Deflatable Bladder Catheter

Abstract

Objective: Thousands of patients must carry Foley catheter during their hospital stay or at home. Sometimes it is impossible to remove it, due to the inability to deflate the balloon. There is no clear protocol about what to do, who should do it and in what order. We present a proposal for action to face this type of situation. Material and methods: We searched the databases of medical publications (Pubmed, Medline, Embase) using the following keywords: Bladder catheter removal, Non-deflatable, retained catheter, obstructed catheter. Results: Twentyfour articles that fulfilled the requirements of the search were detected. Only ten which propose stteped actions were finally included for review. Discussion: The only standardized proposal for action was published 17 years ago and it has never been updated, probably because these problems are considered "isolated cases". We review the knowledge on the subject and propose an action algorithm that would reduce costs and avoid displacement if this situation arises.