Bladder scanner accuracy during everyday use on an acute rehabilitation unit

The use of portable ultrasound scanners is becoming more common in the rehabilitation setting as a noninvasive method of estimating bladder volume. Bladder scanners are used to screen patients for post-void residual volumes and to determine the need for intermittent catheterization based on volume rather than time. Benefits include a decreased number of invasive catheterizations, thus decreasing the potential for urinary tract infections and urethral trauma, and increasing patient satisfaction. Testing at this facility revealed a high potential for inaccuracy, although bladder scanners have been described in the literature as highly accurate, with the equipment easy to use and requiring little staff training. This article reports the authors' findings of staff competency testing and examines patient characteristics that may affect scanner accuracy.