An 85-year-old male comes to the hospital in cardiogenic shock. His skin is cool and clammy, his blood pressure is 75 systolic, and he has moist rales throughout his lung fields. The best reason to place an indwelling bladder catheter in this patient is:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient in cardiogenic shock may not perfuse his kidneys with adequate blood to make urine. The placement of an indwelling bladder catheter in this patient helps to identify impaired renal function and may help in the identification of anuria or oliguria and the treatment of acute renal failure. Unfortunately, indwelling urinary catheters increase the risk of urinary tract infections, decrease patient comfort, may contribute to delirium, especially in the older patient, and increase a patient's risk of injury and falling.

An 85-Year-Old Male Comes to the Hospital in Cardiogenic Shock