Changing indwelling urinary catheters using bladder infill

The commonest method used in changing indwelling urinary catheters, either urethral or supra-pubic, is to remove the catheter and proceed to re-catheterise. When removing the catheter with patients using drainage bags on continual drainage, the urinary bladder becomes empty of urine. This may then leave the practitioner following re-catheterisation and often with no immediate drainage of urine, if the catheter has been safely inserted. A method which the author has used for many years and has experienced no problems is re-catheterisation using bladder infill. This article explains what is meant by bladder infill and how re-catheterisation can be undertaken safely using this method.