Nurses and other frontline healthcare staff are being alerted to the risks of accidentally inserting shorter-length urinary catheters – intended for use only in female patients – into male patients.
The guidance comes from the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) after 114 incidents were reported between 2006-2008 where female-length urinary catheters (around 20 cm shorter than standard length ones) were accidentally inserted into male patients. All of these incidents reportedly caused significant pain to the patient and many caused other symptoms such as adverse swelling of the penis, urinary retention and heavy bleeding. Dr Kevin Cleary, medical director of the NPSA said: “We are advising all healthcare organisations that carry out catheterisation to review their current supply systems and limit access to female length urinary catheters where appropriate, such as on all-male hospital wards. For healthcare settings that have to store both types in the same area, we have produced warning notices and labels designed to attract the attention of staff so that they are constantly reminded of the potential risk to male patients. Organisations can download these from our website at no cost.” Healthcare organisations have until September 2009 to implement these recommendations after which regulatory action may be sanctioned.
