A case report of misdiagnosis caused by faulty urethral catheter
Satoh, S.; Watanabe, T.; Nakamura, K.; Matsushiro, A.; Saitoh, S.; Naito, H.
Masui. Japanese Journal of Anesthesiology 31(7): 764-766
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-4892 PMID: 7131752 Document Number: 193952
A patient is presented who underwent an emergency operation because of a faulty urethral catheter. The woman, aged 65 yr received an angiographical examination for heart disease. During the catheterization from right femoral artery, she fell into hemorrhagic shock, due to an accidental rupture in the branching vessel of femoral artery. Two h after the accident, she was operated on for hemostasis. During the operation, she was transfused 2000 ml of blood and recovered from shock. Blood loss was .apprx. 1000 ml. The urine volume in the operating room was > 100 ml/h. After the operation, she gradually became oliguric, so a diuretic (furosemide 20 mg) was given. Urine volume increased 100 ml/h immediately. Five hour after the operation, her right inguinal wound swelled and the swelling had already extended to the lower abdomen. Urine output at this time was 70 ml/h. Emergency surgery was done once more, but the exact point of bleeding could not be found. An overexpanded bladder was confirmed. The urethral catheter was removed and 1000 ml of urine was removed using a new catheter. The removed catheter appeared intact, but when tested with a regular volume of water, the catheter within the balloon collapsed. Apparently, this was the main cause of abnormal urinary retention in the bladder.