title: Removal of retained urinary catheters.
abstract: In a 1-year register, retained urinary catheters were encountered on 23 occasions. In vitro tests showed that 2 ml of ether or chloroform injected through the inflation channel of catheter balloons caused disruption within a few seconds but liquid paraffin took over 20 min, leaving an unacceptable amount of debris. A new method of removal using diagnostic ultrasound to identify the balloon of the retained catheter is described, together with suggestions for removal of retained catheters occurring under different circumstances.
mesh_terms: D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D002725:Chloroform; D004868:Equipment Failure; D004986:Ether; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008899:Mineral Oil; D014463:Ultrasonography; D001743:Urinary Bladder; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004986:Ether; D002725:Chloroform; D008899:Mineral Oil