Hematuria induced by urethral catheterization

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Emergency Medicine
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Urethral catheterization is a common medical procedure.
• Traumatic hematuria is a potential complication.
• Understanding the incidence and severity of catheter-induced hematuria is important for patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the incidence of traumatic hematuria following urethral catheterization.
• To assess the severity of hematuria induced by catheterization.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study comparing pre- and post-catheterization urinalyses.
• Included 93 emergency department patients with acute abdominal complaints.
• Data collected on patient demographics and catheterization provider.

Main Results:

• Overall, 16 of 93 patients (17.2%) developed hematuria post-catheterization.
• When present, hematuria was consistently mild, not exceeding 3 red blood cells per high-power field (RBC/hpf).
• Catheterizations were performed by nurses, resident house-staff, and nurse practitioners.

Conclusions:

• Urethral catheterization in this patient cohort resulted in a low incidence of hematuria.
• The induced hematuria was generally mild and not clinically significant.
• These findings support the safety of urethral catheterization regarding hematuria complications.