Urinary and Bowel Elimination

a basic human need
equipment for urine and stool elimination (bedpan and urinal, bedside urinal holder, toilet wheelchair)

Assisting a patient in using a bedpan

maintain privacy
perform hygenic care after emptying (genital hygiene, hand hygiene, change personal and bed linen if needed)
air out the room
refrain from inappropriate comments
do not put the bedpan on the floor, take it away covered with a lid, empty the contents of the bedpan, put it in a disinfector/washer (1, 2)
do not touch the clean laundry, patient's things, aids, handles, etc. wearing used gloves

It is a placement of a sterile tube through the urethra into the bladder to drain urine.

general nurse without professional supervision, according to the doctor's indication; for female patients the catheterization is performed by a nurse, for male patients only a nurse with intensive care specialization may do it.

aseptic procedure, disposable equipment
proper insertion technique, proper manipulation of permanent urinary catheter (indwelling catheter, also known as Foley's catheter)

size of urinary catheter is based on Charier (Ch) or French (Fr) scale – determines the size of the outer diameter of the catheter
1 Fr/Ch = catheter diameter 0.3 mm (the next size up is always 0.3 mm larger)
size of the urinary catheter is chosen according to the body constitution, the most commonly used sizes are 14–18 Fr/Ch
indication of disposable urinary catheters – the outer diameter and the catheter type are written on the package
indications of permanent urinary catheters – indicate the size of the outer diameter, the amount of normal saline solution or water for injection determined for the locking balloon (secures catheter position in the bladder, prevents extraction)

Prepare equipment for insertion of urinary catheter.
Explain the procedure to the patient – inform him/her about the procedure and post-intervention status, provide a suitable environment (protect privacy).
Maintain aseptic conditions during the procedure.
Provide patient care after the intervention.
Record details in the documentation.
sterile tweezers are sometimes used to insert a catheter into the male urethra
mesocain or Instilla is used for local anaesthesia of the male urinary meatus

changing the urine collection bag – Follow a) Manufacturer's instructions and correct type of bag (special types for hourly diuresis measurement, bags with/without a drainage valve), b) department specifics
Avoid disconnecting the urinary catheter and urine collection bag.
Do not place on the floor or on the patient's body (belly, limbs); do not raise above bladder level (risk of urine backflow and contamination of the bladder); beware of clamping (bed, bed rails, patient's limb, etc.).
catheter leads over the thigh

Jirkovský D. a kol. Ošetřovatelské postupy a intervence: učebnice pro bakalářské a magisterské studium, Praha, Czechia: Motol University Hospital, 2012. pp. 200-221. ISBN: 978-80-87347-13-3
Krišková, A. a kol. Ošetrovateľské techniky – metodika sesterských činností. Martin, Slovakia: Osveta, 2006. pp. 267-283. ISBN 80-8063-202-2
Pokorná, A. a Komínková, A. Ošetřovatelské postupy založené na důkazech. Brno, Czechia: Masaryk University, 2013. pp. 49-59. ISBN 978-80-210-6331-0