A patient is admitted for a traumatic abdominal injury, which requires surgery. While in the operating room, the perioperative nurse sets up to insert an indwelling catheter and notices blood coming from the patient's urinary meatus. What is the nurse's next intervention?
A)Insert the catheter and check for the presence of blood in the urine output.
B)Insert a straight catheter instead of an indwelling catheter to empty the bladder in case of injury.
C)Insert the catheter and perform an ultrasound of the bladder.
D)Do not insert the catheter and notify the physician.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In this situation, the nurse should not insert the catheter and notify the physician. A patient who is bleeding from the urinary meatus after a traumatic injury may have a pelvic fracture or damage to the bladder. The physician may want to order further imaging studies to rule out the presence of further injuries. The nurse should avoid inserting a catheter until the physician has cleared the patient for this intervention.

A Patient Is Admitted for a Traumatic Abdominal Injury, Which