This document provides instructions for flushing or irrigating the urinary bladder with a specific solution using a catheter. It describes preparing the necessary equipment like gloves, towels, catheter, tubing and solution. It outlines the steps to check the physician's orders, prepare the patient, set up the irrigation equipment and tubing, and perform either continuous or intermittent irrigation of the bladder. The nurse must monitor the patient and drainage during and after the procedure and properly record and dispose of used items.

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2. Flushing out / washing out the
urinary bladder with specific
solution.
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3. To flush clots & debris out of the
catheter & bladder.
To instill medication to bladder
lining
To restore patency of the catheter.
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4.  Disposable gloves
 Disposable, water resistant, sterile towel/mackintosh
 Threeway retention catheter
 Strile drainage tubing & bag in place
 Sterile antiseptic swab
 Sterile receptable
 Sterile irrigating solution warmed or at room temperature
• Normal saline
• Distilled water
• Solution as prescribe by physician
 Infusion tubing
 IV pole
 Kidney basin
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5. Check physician's order & nursing care plan
for type, amount & strength of irrigation fluid
& reason for irrigation.
Prepare the patient
a. Explain the procedure & purpose to the
patient
b. Provide for privacy & drape the patient
c. Empty, measure & record the amount &
appearance of urine present in the urine bag
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6. Prepare the equipment
a. Wash hand
b. Connect the irrigation infusion tubing to the
irrigating solution & flush the tubing with
solution
c. Connect the irrigation tubing to the input
port of the 3-way catheter. Connect the
drainage bag & tubing to the urinary
drainage port if not already in place
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7. Irrigate the bladder
a. Continuous irrigation
 Open the flow clamp on the urinary drainage
tubing (if present)
 Open the regulating clamp on the irrigating
tubing & adjust the flow rate as prescribed
by the physician or to 40- 60 drops/minute if
not specified.
 Assess the drainage for amount, colour &
clarity.
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8. b. Intermittent Irrigation
I. Determine whether the solution is to remain in
the bladder for a specified time.
• If solution is to remain in the bladder during a
bladder irrigation or instillation close the flow
clamp on the urinary drainage tubing.
• Open the flow clamp on the irrigation
tubing, allowing the specified amount of solution
(75-100 ml) to infuse & then clamp the tubing
• After retaining the solution for specific period of
time, open the drainage tubing flow clamp &
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9. II. If the solution being instilled is to irrigate
the catheter, open the flow clamp on the
urinary drainage tubing.
 Assess the patient condition, urinary
output, color, odour & clarity of drainage.
 Discard all used disposable articles, clean &
replace reusable articles.
 Wash hands
 Record procedure in nurse’s record.
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