TheatrePracticeStandardsGeneric1

Generic Theatre Standard No 08 - Catheterisation of Female Patients
Standard Statement: To ensure safe and hygienic insertion of urinary catheter in female patients
undergoing surgical procedure.
Method:
• All staff will be familiar with the hospital policy regarding female catheterisation.
Theatre staff will maintain patient dignity and minimise risk of infection to the patient.
• All staff will receive the appropriate training and have been assessed as competent
prior to performing this procedure.
• Theatre staff will place patient with hip flexed and knees bent, feet should be resting
about 60cm apart.
• Theatre personnel must ensure that the patient’s privacy and dignity are maintained at
all times. Excess staff/ visitors must be asked to leave the theatre.
• Staff must ensure that the patient remains covered until theatre staff are ready to
perform the procedure.
• Good visibility must be ensured by use of theatre lighting.
• Staff must wash their hands using bactericidal soap or bactericidal alcohol hand rub.
• Staff must don sterile gloves and an apron.
• A member of staff is to open the outer catheter pack; the nurse performing the
procedure can then proceed to open supplementary packs maintaining an aseptic
technique.
• Place a sterile sheet across the patient’s thighs.
• Separate the labia minora so that the urethral meatus is seen. Using swabs provided
on the pack, one hand should be used to maintain labial separation until catheterisation
is complete. This provides better access to the urethral orifice and helps prevent labial
contamination of the catheter.
• The urethral orifice will be cleaned using 0.9% NaCl solution, single downward strokes
will be used. This minimises the risk of cross-infection.
• The urethral orifice or catheter should be lubricated using sterile aqueous lubricating
jelly, or sodium chloride solution.
• The catheter, of appropriate size as assessed by the theatre practitioner or surgeon, is
placed in the receiver between the patient’s legs, this provides a temporary container
as the urine drains.
• The tip of the catheter is introduced into the urethral orifice and the catheter advanced
6 – 8 cm, to prevent the balloon from being trapped in the urethra.
• The balloon is inflated with the appropriate quantity of sterile water as dictated by the
manufacturers instructions, having ensured that the catheter is draining adequately i.e.
having visualised urine flowing.
• The catheter bag is attached to the catheter, using hourly drainage measuring devices
when appropriate to the surgery.
• Ensure that the catheter lumen is not occluded and that the patient is not lying on the
catheter.
• Staff must ensure that the patient is dry to prevent secondary infection and skin
irritation.
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