Use of indwelling bladder catheters in an intensive care unit: Cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the use of indwelling bladder catheters in an intensive care unit. Method: this descriptive, cross-sectional, documentary study was conducted in an intensive care unit in Rio de Janeiro, between May and August 2020 with a convenience sample, comprising 190 medical records of patients with such devices. A questionnaire was used to characterize the patients, insertion criteria, best practices and non-infectious complications. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, presented in absolute and relative frequencies. For non-infectious events, Fischer’s Exact Test was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Results: indwelling bladder catheters were inserted mostly in females (123; 64.7%), patients with mean age 62.9 years, and diagnosis of COVID 19 (97; 51.1%). In 134 (70.5%) of cases, the criteria were met. Conclusion: the findings underline the importance of compliance with protocols and good practices when using indwelling bladder catheters.