Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bladder flushing and repeat urethral blockage in cats
By Tsuruta, Kaoru et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2022·Allegheny Veterinary Emergency, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effect of intermittent bladder flushing on recurrence rate in feline urethral obstruction: 72 cases.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 72 cats with suspected urinary blockages were treated in the hospital, some receiving intermittent bladder flushing while others did not. The flushing involved using a sterile saline solution every eight hours while the cats had urinary catheters in place. After discharge, the rate of recurring urinary obstructions was about 6.6% within a week and 21.8% within a month, with no significant difference between the flushing and non-flushing groups. Overall, while the bladder flushing was safe, it did not reduce the chances of the cats experiencing further blockages or infections related to the catheter.
People also search for: cat urinary blockage treatment · feline urethral obstruction flushing · cat catheter infection risk
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of intermittent bladder flushing on recurrent urethral obstruction (rUO) at 7 d and 30 d after discharge and the risk of bacteriuria as a result of indwelling urethral catheterization. ANIMALS: There were 72 cats with suspected obstructive feline idiopathic cystitis admitted to the hospital. PROCEDURES: Cats were randomly assigned to either intermittent bladder flushing (= 34) or no-flush (control) groups (= 38). Bladder flushing was performed with 5 mL/kg of sterile 0.9% saline, q8h during indwelling urinary catheterization. Urine was tested for bacteriuria by a point-of-care test at the time of urinary catheterization andcystocentesis following catheter removal before discharge. Risk of rUO by groups and its association with other variables were evaluated. RESULTS: The age (median: 3.0 years) in the flush group was younger (= 0.01), and the length of hospitalization (> 24 hours) was longer (< 0.01) than that of the control group. Overall rUO was 6.6% on Day 7 and 21.8% on Day 30 after discharge, but there was no significant difference between groups. A shorter duration of catheterization (< 24 hours) was associated with higher risk of rUO (odds ratio: 6.0). The incidence of catheter-related bacteriuria was 14.5% and was not significantly different between groups (13.8% and 15.2% in the flush and control, respectively). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Intermittent bladder flushing during hospitalization appears safe but did not decrease the incidence of rUO. The incidence of bacteriuria following catheterization was not affected by intermittent bladder flushing.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36467381/