Catheter scare!

[Fakename4me]

So it finally happened to me.  Went to deflate the catheter I was using and....  Nothing.

A bit of panic, a bit of terror, a bit of what am I going to tell them at the ER??!!

After I calmed down I decided on a course of action.  First, maybe a bit more water in the balloon will free up whatever is sticking.  

Nope, no water going in, no water coming out.  A few gentle tugs and no, that will not work.  So I cut the catheter off past the valve.  And nothing.

I am trying to come up with a further plan of action when the water suddenly empties from the catheter. 

*Whew*

So I guess this is a public service announcement.  There are times when a catheter will not deflate. 

[cathdiap]

I am sorry this happened to you. Did you try sucking the fluid out with a syringe?

[doogles]

This is why I always test a cath before using it. Inflate it with a syringe, then deflate, then insert. If it inflates funny or acts, in any way, other than 100% normal, toss it.

[Fakename4me]

On 6/20/2021 at 2:36 PM, cathdiap said:

I am sorry this happened to you. Did you try sucking the fluid out with a syringe?

Yes I did!  When I tried to draw the water out nothing happened.  Normally when I attach the syringe to the fill port the syringe piston starts to move as the balloon starts to deflate.  That did not happen.  Thinking the valve was stuck I tried to add water in an attempt to open it up.  That did not work.  The water I was adding tried to inflate the section of the catheter where I placed the arrow.  Seeing that I will admit scared me.

Since the inlet valve was not the problem I realized that the water was trapped in the balloon by the balloon itself.  I cut the valve off not expecting anything to happen, and at first nothing did happen.  Then the balloon emptied.  There was much rejoicing. there was much rejoicing

 

On 6/22/2021 at 12:30 PM, doogles said:

This is why I always test a cath before using it. Inflate it with a syringe, then deflate, then insert. If it inflates funny or acts, in any way, other than 100% normal, toss it.

And as a reply to doogles, I have NOT done this before to keep the wrinkles out of the balloon for easier insertion.  But I just may start to do that and comfort on insertion will have to be what it is.  

 

[Dragonmiss2013]

Yeah, Monty Python.

[BabyJune]

On 6/27/2021 at 6:44 PM, Dragonmiss2013 said:

Yeah, Monty Python.

OOOhhh...that story would certainly make me go "Ni."

[doogles]

2 hours ago, BabyJune said:

OOOhhh...that story would certainly make me go "Ni."

Pretty sure you mean "EKKY EKKY EKKY P-TANG Zoomp boing mrowr...."

[BabyJune]

21 hours ago, doogles said:

Pretty sure you mean "EKKY EKKY EKKY P-TANG Zoomp boing mrowr...."

I stand corrected (next to a shrubbery).