A modified guidewire technique for deflating a non-deflating Foley catheter in the emergency department

Abstract

Stuck catheter due to a non-deflating balloon is one of the complications of urinary catheters and these patients usually seek visits in the emergency department. The guidewire technique for deflating the balloon of a stuck Foley catheter is easy and non-invasive. But due to the characteristics of the guidewire in some instances, it could not be passed through the tight and narrow inflation port of the Foley catheter and the procedure would be frustrating for the physician and the patient. We made a modification that was successful in a case series of 8 male patients and made further invasive steps (rupture of the balloon by suprapubic or transrectal puncture) unnecessary.

Keywords:

• Non-deflating
• catheter balloon
• urinary catheterisation
• catheter

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.