Irrigation of the bladder shouldn’t be done routinely. If an obstruction is anticipated, closed continuous irrigation may be used to prevent it. (See “Continuous bladder irrigation,” page 207.) To relieve an obstruction resulting from clots, mucus, or other causes, an intermittent method of irrigation may be used.¹ Whenever possible, the catheter should be irrigated through a closed system to decrease the risk for infection.²,³

Before initiating catheter irrigation, a bladder scanner may be used to confirm whether a decrease in urine output results from a blockage or reduced urine in the bladder, reducing the number of unnecessary irrigations and minimizing breaks in the closed drainage system.⁴

If obstruction occurs and it’s likely that the catheter material is contributing to obstruction, change the catheter.² To help prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections, the catheter should be removed as soon as it’s no longer needed.¹,²,³,⁴,⁵