Management of Obstructed Three-Way Urinary Catheter

There are two methods to manage blockage of a three-way urinary catheter: replacing the catheter with a new one or performing bladder irrigation. Taking catheter replacement as an example, the specific procedure is as follows:

1. The patient lies flat on the bed with knees bent. After putting on sterile gloves, the doctor performs routine disinfection on the patient.

2. Open the outer packaging and remove the three-way urinary catheter. Apply lubricant to the tip of the catheter. The doctor separates the patient's labia minora and majora to expose the urethral opening, accurately locates the external urethral orifice, and gently inserts the tip of the catheter slowly into the urethra.

3. After inserting 2–4 cm, urine begins to flow through the catheter. Once urine appears, advance the catheter another 1–2 cm.

4. Inject 10–15 ml of normal saline through the channel marked with color coding to inflate the balloon and secure the catheter in place. Then connect the central lumen to a urine collection bag.

After the procedure, patients should drink plenty of water, urinate frequently, and maintain a light diet.