Question

a nurse should recognize that the purpose of continuous bladder irrigation for a client who has had a transurethral resection of the prostate is to

• prevent occlusion of the catheter by blood clots.
• control the pain related to the surgery.
• prevent a bladder infection.
• increase urinary output.

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Continuous Bladder Irrigation (CBI)
Keeping the urinary drainage system clear after prostate surgery

Step 1: Understand the Surgical Context (TURP)

A transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is a surgical procedure used to treat an enlarged prostate. Because the prostate gland is highly vascular (contains many blood vessels), bleeding is a very common and expected occurrence in the immediate postoperative period.

Step 2: Identify the Role of Continuous Bladder Irrigation (CBI)

Following a TURP, a large three-way urinary catheter is inserted into the bladder. Continuous bladder irrigation (CBI) involves infusing a sterile solution (typically normal saline) continuously into the bladder and allowing it to drain out.

The primary purpose of this continuous fluid flow is to:

• Flush out blood and tissue debris.
• Prevent the formation of blood clots.
• Keep the catheter patent (open and free of blockages).

If blood clots are allowed to form, they can easily block (occlude) the catheter. This leads to painful bladder distension, spasms, and potential bleeding complications.

Step 3: Evaluate the Given Options

• prevent occlusion of the catheter by blood clots: This is the primary therapeutic goal of CBI. Keeping the fluid flowing prevents clots from forming and blocking the drainage tube.
• control the pain related to the surgery: CBI does not directly manage surgical pain. In fact, if the irrigation rate is too fast or if the catheter becomes blocked, it can actually cause painful bladder spasms. Pain is managed with systemic analgesics and antispasmodics.
• prevent a bladder infection: While sterile technique is used, the primary purpose of CBI is mechanical clearance of blood, not infection prevention. Introducing a continuous irrigation system actually carries an inherent risk of introducing bacteria if not managed carefully.
• increase urinary output: CBI measures the fluid going in and coming out to ensure the bladder is draining, but it does not increase the patient's physiological urine production by the kidneys.

Answer:

prevent occlusion of the catheter by blood clots.