Multi-centre, prospective evaluation of the Seldinger technique for difficult male urethral catheter insertions by non-urology trained doctors

Optimised Protocol for Managing Failed Catheterisation: Leveraging Bedside Retrograde Urethrography and Cystourethroscopy

Introduction Urethral catheterization is a routine procedure often required for many hospitalized patients. Various conditions, such as meatal stenosis, stricture urethra, false passage, benign prostatic hyperplasia, bladder neck contractures, and impacted urethral stones, can contribute to difficulty in catheterisation. In the setting of failed attempts at per urethral catheter placement, the subsequent intervention is suprapubic catheter (SPC) insertion. SPC placement has its associated complications and causes inconvenience to the patients. We framed an algorithm to minimise the need for SPC insertion in cases of difficult per urethral catheterisation in a non-trauma setting. This study aimed to evaluate the common causes of difficult per urethral catheterisation and establish the efficacy of our algorithm in managing difficult catheterisation with bedside retrograde urethrography (RGU) and cystoscopy while avoiding SPC placement. Materials and methods This prospective observational study was conducted from September 2022 to June 2024. Patients admitted with urinary retention or requiring routine catheterisation, with one failed attempt at catheterisation, were included in the study. Our algorithm for the management of difficult catheterisation in a non-trauma setting, to avoid SPC, integrates a bedside RGU and retrograde urethroscopy using either a 15.5 Fr cystoscope sheath or a 6 Fr ureteroscope to identify the urethral pathology, followed by dilatation and per urethral catheterisation. Results Among 55 patients (aged 34-82 years), 48 (87.27%) were male and seven (12.73%) were female. The most common indication for catheterisation was routine catheterisation for output monitoring (n = 30; 54.54%), followed by acute retention (n = 25; 45.45%). Bulbar urethral stricture (n = 28; 50.9%) was the most common cause of difficult catheterisation, followed by meatal/sub-meatal narrowing (n = 13; 23.63%), enlarged prostate or high bladder neck (n = 4; 7.27%), and impacted stones (n = 3; 5.45%). Successful catheterisation was achieved in 48 male patients following urethroscopy with a 6 Fr ureteroscope or 15.5 Fr cystoscope. In females, reducing the pelvic organ prolapse enabled catheterisation in two cases, while five required serial dilatation and catheterisation. Successful per-urethral catheterisation was achieved in all 55 (100%) patients, thus avoiding SPC. Conclusions Conventional blind catheterisation techniques have limited success in the setting of failed initial catheterisation. This approach, which employs bedside fluoroscopy and direct visualisation of the urethra using a cystoscope or ureteroscope, helped achieve higher success rates (n = 55; 100%) for difficult per-urethral catheterisation and avoided the need for SPC. Proper implementation of this protocol for dealing with difficult per-urethral catheterisation will reduce the unnecessary burden on the healthcare system by minimising the potential iatrogenic urethral injuries and reducing the need for SPC.

Safety and efficacy of fluoroscopy-guided urethral catheterization in case of failed blind or cystoscopy-assisted urethral catheterization

This retrospective study evaluated the safety and efficacy of fluoroscopy-guided urethral catheterization in patients who failed blind or cystoscopy-assisted urethral catheterization. We utilized our institutional database between January 2011 and March 2023, and patients with failed blind or cystoscopy-assisted urethral catheterization and subsequent fluoroscopy-guided urethral catheterization were included. A 5-Fr catheter was inserted into the urethral orifice, and the retrograde urethrography (RGU) was acquired. Subsequently, the operator attempted to pass a hydrophilic guidewire to the urethra. If the guidewire and guiding catheter could be successfully passed into the bladder, but the urethral catheter failed pass due to urethral stricture, the operator determined either attempted again with a reduced catheter diameter or performed balloon dilation according to their preference. Finally, an appropriately sized urethral catheter was selected, and an endhole was created using an 18-gauge needle. The catheter was then inserted over the wire to position the tip in the bladder lumen and ballooned to secure it. We reviewed patients' medical histories, the presence of hematuria, and RGU to determine urethral abnormalities. Procedure-related data were assessed. Study enrolled a total of 179 fluoroscopy-guided urethral catheterizations from 149 patients (all males; mean age, 73.3 ± 13.3 years). A total of 225 urethral strictures were confirmed in 141 patients, while eight patients had no strictures. Urethral rupture was confirmed in 62 patients, and hematuria occurred in 34 patients after blind or cystoscopy-assisted urethral catheterization failed. Technical and clinical success rates were 100%, and procedure-related complications were observed in four patients (2.2%). The mean time from request to urethral catheter insertion was 129.7 ± 127.8 min. The mean total fluoroscopy time was 3.5 ± 2.5 min and the mean total DAP was 25.4 ± 25.1 Gy cm2. Balloon dilation was performed in 77 patients. Total procedure time was 9.2 ± 7.6 min, and the mean procedure time without balloon dilation was 7.1 ± 5.7 min. Fluoroscopy-guided urethral catheterization is a safe and efficient alternative in patients where blind or cystoscopy-assisted urethral catheterization has failed or when cystoscopy-urethral catheterization cannot be performed.

Use of Videos by Health Care Professionals for Procedure Support in Acute Cardiac Care: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Cardiology procedures are often life-saving and time-critical, but some are so infrequent that health care staff may have rarely encountered them in practice or need to refresh their skills rapidly. Videos demonstrating procedures have the potential to assist health care professionals and support safe patient care. This scoping review explores the research literature involving the use of video by health care professionals in hospitals.

AIM

To identify what is known from research regarding the use of video to support clinical procedures in hospitals or health care facilities.

METHOD

The Joanna Briggs Institute Scoping review methodology guided our systematic search of peer-reviewed evidence related to video use to support procedures in a hospital or health care facility. Data sources included the electronic databases: ProQuest, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medline, Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), Scopus, and PubMed.

FINDINGS

Seventeen (17) studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in the review, all published between 2012 and 2022. Since 2005, YouTube has become the dominant platform for publishing or sourcing videos related to clinical procedures. Studies to date can be summarised under five themes: 1) video content and purpose, 2) target audience, 3) video hosting site-internal websites versus YouTube, 4) curated versus original 'homegrown' video content, and 5) video development process.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

Research on the development and utility of videos to support clinical procedures is emerging, with the ability to host videos on platforms such as YouTube becoming more accessible in recent years. All videos were designed to enhance health care professionals' existing knowledge and skills within their scope of practice. The available literature suggests that video can be a valuable clinical resource for both simple and skilled procedures. Video resources can help clinicians perform or assist with rare procedures, providing 'just in time' patient safety prompts and information.

A review of techniques for difficult catheterisation and their costs

Objective:

Awareness of departmental expenditure gives surgeons the ability to make cost-effective decisions. We reviewed the available techniques for difficult catheterisation and assessed the cost of each method.

Methods:

A literature search was undertaken using EMBASE and Medline databases. Seven techniques for difficult catheterisation were identified, and a cost analysis was performed. All items required for a technique were costed per unit, including VAT, and can be referenced to the NHS supply chain.

Results:

Techniques were divided into three broad categories: simple urethral techniques – increased lubrication with different catheter sizes (£5.05) or types (£8.83 Tiemann tip, £10.65 Coude tip); complex urethral techniques – blind hydrophilic guidewire (£27.31), S-dilators (£244.62) and flexible cystoscopy (£38.78); and percutaneous techniques – suprapubic catheterisation (£117.38).

Conclusion:

This paper demonstrates a progression in cost and specialist input required when moving from simple urethral techniques to complex and percutaneous techniques. It is clear that clinicians should consider these cost implications and exhaust all simple techniques before moving to the more complex options. We would advocate the use of a national evidence-based difficult catheter algorithm to guide management based on both effectiveness and cost.

Level of evidence:

Not applicable.

Clinical efficacy of retrograde urethrography-assisted urethral catheterization after failed conventional urethral catheterization

Background

Several approaches for urethral catheterization after the failure of initial urethral catheterization have been introduced. However, standard procedures regarding what should be done after failed conventional urethral catheterization have been not established. Therefore, we investigated the clinical efficacy of retrograde urethrography (RGU)-assisted urethral catheterization after failed conventional urethral catheterization.

Methods

Between July 2015 and July 2018, 136 patients who underwent RGU-assisted urethral catheterization after failed conventional urethral catheterization were included in this retrospective study. Patients’ clinical data, such as age, catheterization site, and previous history of urologic operations, were collected and assessed via chart review. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictive factors for the failure of this procedure.

Results

Of the 136 patients, 94 (69.1%) experienced successful RGU-assisted urethral catheterization. Having a previous history of urologic operations, such as urethrotomy and transurethral prostatectomy, was identified as an independent predictive factor for the failure of RGU-assisted urethral catheterization (odds ratio = 9.453, 95% confidence interval = 2.703–33.063, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

RGU-assisted urethral catheterization can be one of the modalities for providing successful catheterization after failed conventional urethral catheterization. We believe that RGU-assisted urethral catheterization can be an effective procedure if patients have no previous history of urologic operations, such as urethrotomy and transurethral prostatectomy. Trial registration Soonchunhyang university institutional review board approval (No. 2018-08-021).

Comparative study of wire-integrated urethral catheter versus wire-assisted urethral catheter in difficult male urethral catheterization: a single-center experience

Background

This study reports the clinical experience of the wire-integrated urethral catheter (WIUC) versus wire-assisted urethral catheter (WAUC) in difficult male urethral catheterization.

Methods

The clinical data of 116 male patients undergoing urinary catheterization with WIUC or WAUC after a failed attempt catheterization in Southwest Hospital from June 2018 to June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The time spent during urinary catheterization, cost of consumables, experience rating of catheterization methods and materials assessed by medical staff were compared between WIUC group (n=58) and WAUC group (n=58).

Results

The catheterization succeeded in all 116 patients. The time spent of urinary catheterization was (4.0±1.6) min in WIUC group and (15.4±3.3) min in WAUC group, and the cost of consumables was￥400 in WIUC group and￥706.2 in WAUC group. The medical staff's experience rating results were 9.0±0.8 vs. 7.8±0.7 for the catheterization method and 9.3±0.8 vs. 8.0±0.7 for the materials, respectively, in the WIUC group and WAUC group.

Conclusions

WIUC is reasonably designed and easy to operate and can be used for a variety of clinical situations.

Innovations in indwelling urethral catheterisation

The indwelling urethral catheter remains an integral part of contemporary medical care, despite its significant design shortcomings. Urethral catheterisation is responsible for well-recognised complications including catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), catheter-associated urethral injury (CAUI), catheter blockage, and bladder mucosal irritation. In this narrative review, we provide an update on current innovations in urethral catheter design, aimed at safeguarding against these complications. There is an obvious need to improve catheter technology and urologists should support the translation of innovations into clinical practice.

Blood supply characteristics of pedunculated hepatocellular carcinoma prior to and following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization treatment: An angiographic demonstration

Pedunculated hepatocellular carcinoma (P-HCC) is a rare type of HCC, defined as a carcinoma protruding from the liver with or without a pedicle with a low degree of liver invasion. The present study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of blood supply of P-HCC prior to and following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment. Angiographic findings prior to and following TACE treatment in 39 patients with P-HCC were analyzed retrospectively. Angiography performed at the first TACE session revealed 70 tumor-feeding arteries collectively in all patients, including 31/70 (44.0%) extrahepatic parasitic arteries in 23/39 patients (59.0%). The intrahepatic arteries served as the main blood supply to P-HCC in all patients. Extrahepatic collateral blood supplies to P-HCCs were significantly associated with larger tumor diameter (χ²=164.000, P<0.001), but not tumor location (χ²=7.358, P=0.061). Following repeated TACE treatment, all angiographies revealed a total of 131 tumor feeding arteries collectively in all patients, including intrahepatic arteries (54/131) and extrahepatic collateral arteries (78/131) in 31 patients (79.5%). Compared with angiographies performed at the initial TACE treatment, these results also demonstrated an increase in the number of extrahepatic collateral arteries, which produced 47 new blood vessels (χ²=4.278, P=0.039). P-HCC tumor lesions readily acquired a parasitic blood supply from adjacent vessels following repeated TACE. Intrahepatic arteries functioned as the main blood supply for P-HCC, whereas extrahepatic collateral arteries were complementary to P-HCC, regardless of whether the patient was pre- or post-TACE. Extrahepatic collateral supplies to P-HCCs that originated from adjacent vessels were rich, were closely associated with tumor size, and were prone to be newly established following repeated TACE.