A nurse is managing a patient who underwent a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) with continuous bladder irrigation (CBI). The nurse notes that the drainage tubing has stopped flowing, the patient is grimacing in severe suprapubic pain, and urine is leaking around the catheter meatus. What is the immediate nursing action?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Manually irrigate the catheter with a large piston syringe and sterile normal saline to dislodge obstructing blood clots

  1. Step 1: Following TURP, cessation of CBI drainage accompanied by suprapubic pain, bladder distension, and catheter bypassing indicates that the catheter lumen is occluded by blood clots.
  2. Step 2: The immediate nursing action is manually irrigating the catheter with a sterile piston syringe and normal saline to clear the obstructing clot and restore free continuous drainage.
Answer
Manually irrigate the catheter with a large piston syringe and sterile normal saline to dislodge obstructing blood clots.
Why not the others: 'Increase the inflow rate' pumps more fluid into an already obstructed, distended bladder, risking bladder wall rupture; 'Remove catheter' is contraindicated as TURP catheters provide direct balloon traction hemostasis at the prostatic fossa; 'Administer opioid' ignores the mechanical obstruction.

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