🔷 Use a bladder scanner
🔷 The client is a postoperative client whose indwelling urinary catheter was removed at 0800, and by 1200 the client is unable to void.
🔷 After catheter removal, the nurse should assess for urinary retention, especially because postoperative clients are at increased risk due to anesthesia, immobility, pain medications, and decreased bladder sensation.
🔷 A bladder scanner is the best first intervention because it is noninvasive and accurately estimates the amount of urine retained in the bladder.
🔷 This helps determine whether the client truly has significant bladder distention before performing an invasive procedure.
🔷 Since the client is receiving IV fluids at 120 mL/hr, continued urine production is expected, making assessment for retention especially important.
❌ Percuss the bladder may provide a rough clue of bladder distention, but it is less accurate than a bladder scanner. The best nursing action is to use the most reliable noninvasive assessment first.
❌ Reduce the IV fluid rate is not the priority because the problem is not fluid overload; the concern is possible urinary retention. The nurse should not alter IV fluids without first assessing the cause of inability to void.
❌ Assist the client to the bathroom may be helpful later, but this client has already been unable to void after catheter removal. The priority is to assess bladder volume to determine whether retention is present.
🔶 Anticipate inserting a straight catheter
🔶 If the bladder scanner shows a large retained urine volume, the nurse should anticipate intermittent straight catheterization to empty the bladder.
🔶 A straight catheter is appropriate because it relieves acute urinary retention without leaving the client continuously catheterized.
🔶 This reduces the risk of bladder overdistention, discomfort, urinary reflux, and kidney stress.
🔶 It also lowers the risk of infection compared with placing an indwelling catheter when long-term drainage is not clearly needed.
🔶 After straight catheterization, the nurse should continue monitoring the client’s ability to void independently and reassess urine output.
❌ Inserting an indwelling catheter is usually not the first anticipated intervention unless retention is persistent or repeated catheterization is required. Indwelling catheters increase the risk for catheter-associated urinary tract infection.
❌ Discontinuing the IV fluids does not treat urinary retention and could compromise postoperative hydration. IV fluids should not be stopped unless prescribed or clinically indicated.
❌ Continued monitoring alone is not enough if the bladder scanner shows significant urinary retention. Retained urine must be relieved to prevent bladder injury.