Failure to Assess and Report Abnormal Urine Characteristics in Residents With Indwelling Catheters
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that residents with indwelling urinary catheters and suprapubic catheters were maintained free of visible sediments and cloudiness in the urine, and that changes in urine character were assessed and acted upon as ordered. For one resident with a suprapubic catheter who was dependent in activities of daily living and had neuromuscular bladder dysfunction and urogenital implants, surveyors observed visible white sediments in the catheter tubing while the resident was in bed and unable to answer questions. This resident’s physician orders required staff to monitor changes in urine character every shift, including cloudiness, sediments, foul smell, blood, or concentrated urine, and to notify the physician for potential UTI. The resident’s care plan for bladder complications related to neurogenic bladder and suprapubic catheter also directed staff to notify the physician for signs and symptoms of UTI such as foul-smelling urine, color changes, hematuria, and sediments. Another resident with a Foley catheter, quadriplegia, genitourinary prosthetic devices, anoxic brain damage, and severe cognitive impairment was observed lying in bed with visible white sediments in the catheter tubing and amber-colored urine with sediments. During a concurrent interview, an LVN acknowledged the presence of sediments, stated that nurses must notify the physician when sediment builds up in the urine or tubing, and admitted the catheter had not been assessed that morning for sediments while wound care was performed. This resident also had physician orders to monitor urine character every shift for cloudiness, sediments, foul smell, blood, or concentrated urine and to notify the doctor for potential UTI, and a care plan indicating the need to notify the physician for signs and symptoms of UTI including foul-smelling urine, color changes, hematuria, and sediments. A third resident with a suprapubic catheter, paraplegia, neuromuscular bladder dysfunction, unspecified dementia, and dependence in ADLs was observed in bed with cloudy urine in the drainage bag and tubing. During the observation, an LVN identified the cloudiness and stated that suprapubic catheters should be assessed daily for signs and symptoms of infection such as blood, cloudiness, and sediments, and that allowing urine to remain cloudy or with sediments was not acceptable. This resident’s physician orders also required every-shift monitoring of urine character for cloudiness, sediments, foul smell, blood, or concentrated urine and physician notification for potential UTI, and the care plan for an indwelling Foley catheter and neurogenic bladder specified that the resident should show no signs or symptoms of UTI and that the physician should be notified for foul-smelling urine, color changes, hematuria, and sediments. A fourth resident with a Foley catheter, benign prostatic hyperplasia, neuromuscular bladder dysfunction, unspecified dementia, and severe cognitive impairment was observed in bed with sediments present in the Foley catheter drainage bag and tubing. During the concurrent interview, an LVN stated that they usually assess Foley catheters before starting the shift and again during medication pass but admitted they had not picked up the drainage bag or tubing to properly assess it and therefore had not seen the sediments. The LVN stated they should have picked up the drainage bag and checked it. This resident’s physician orders also required every-shift monitoring of urine character for cloudiness, sediments, foul smell, blood, or concentrated urine and physician notification for potential UTI, and the care plan for an indwelling Foley catheter and neurogenic bladder included interventions to notify the physician for signs and symptoms of UTI such as foul-smelling urine, color changes, hematuria, and sediments. In interviews, an LVN stated it was important to properly assess catheters every morning for changes in urine such as no output, sediments, cloudiness, or leaking, and that nurses need to inform the doctor and document a change of condition if there were any changes in the resident. The DON stated that it was the nurse’s responsibility to assess catheters every shift for urine appearance, including sediments, hematuria, or any characteristics that may indicate abnormalities, and that nurses are required to call the doctor and follow physician orders. The facility’s catheter care policy directed staff to observe residents for complications associated with urinary catheters and to report unusual findings, including unusual urine appearance, to the physician or supervisor immediately, as well as signs and symptoms of urinary tract infection or urinary retention. Despite these orders, care plan directives, and policy requirements, surveyors observed multiple residents with indwelling or suprapubic catheters who had visible sediments and/or cloudy urine without evidence that staff had adequately assessed and reported these changes as required.
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
A resident with an indwelling urinary catheter, ordered for urinary retention related to hydronephrosis, was observed in bed with the catheter collection bag lying flat on the floor beside the bed and containing urine. The resident said an aide had helped her back to bed after breakfast, and one aide confirmed she assisted the resident but forgot to hang the bag from the bed frame as she normally would. The DON and Administrator stated catheter bags were expected to be kept off the floor.
Catheter care and securement were not maintained for three residents with indwelling catheters. One resident's drainage bag was found lying in bed with tubing under the leg and no strap in place, another resident's tubing was under the leg with no strap present, and a third resident received catheter care from a CNA who cleansed the catheter using a back-and-forth motion and reused the same wipe instead of cleaning away from the penis in one direction. The DON and other staff stated the bag should be below the bladder, the strap should secure the tubing, and catheter care should be performed using proper technique.
A resident with a catheter for neurogenic bladder, impaired cognition, and total bowel/bladder incontinence had a catheter drainage bag repeatedly observed hooked on a wheelchair arm rest above bladder level. The tubing contained urine that had not drained down, the resident tried to move the tubing to drain it, and staff interviews confirmed the bag should have been positioned below the bladder; one RN also stated the resident was on antibiotics for a bladder infection.
Foley Bag Placed at Bladder Level During Care: A resident with an indwelling Foley catheter, severe cognitive impairment, and obstructive uropathy had his drainage bag emptied and then placed on the bed at bladder level during perineal care. Observation showed urine moving back toward the catheter insertion site while the resident was repositioned. Staff interviews confirmed the bag should remain below the bladder at all times, and the facility policy required the drainage bag to be positioned lower than the bladder to prevent backflow.
A resident with a Foley catheter was observed with the tubing not secured to the leg during care, and staff acknowledged it should have been secured to prevent pulling and injury. In a separate observation, two CNAs provided incontinent care to another resident with bowel incontinence and an indwelling catheter but did not clean the inner thighs or right buttock area before applying a clean brief, despite the care plan and facility policy requiring thorough perineal cleansing.
A resident with a catheter was observed with the catheter bag and tubing exposed outside the privacy bag and resting directly on the floor, and the resident moved the wheelchair over the bag. An RN later confirmed that catheter bag and tubing should not be in direct contact with the floor.
Catheter Bag Left on Floor Beside Bed
Penalty
Summary
Failure to provide appropriate catheter care occurred for a resident with an indwelling urinary catheter. The resident was admitted with diagnoses including overactive bladder, hydronephrosis, and bladder-neck obstruction, and the physician ordered a urethral catheter for urinary retention related to hydronephrosis, with instructions to ensure the tubing was patent and the catheter was in a privacy bag. The resident’s assessment identified the resident as cognitively intact and coded the resident as having an indwelling catheter, and the care plan included interventions to position the catheter bag and tubing below the level of the bladder. During an observation, the resident was in bed with visitors present, and the urinary catheter collection bag was lying flat on the floor beside the bed with urine in the bag. The resident stated a nurse aide had assisted her back to bed after breakfast and that she had not touched the catheter bag. One nurse aide stated she had not assisted the resident, while another nurse aide confirmed she assisted the resident back to bed and stated she normally hangs catheter bags from the bed frame when residents are returned to bed, but acknowledged she must have forgotten to do so in this instance. The DON and Administrator both stated the facility expected catheter bags to be kept off the floor and hung from the bed frame when a resident was in bed.
Catheter Care and Securement Not Maintained
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure appropriate catheter care and catheter securement for three residents with indwelling catheters. Resident #20 had diagnoses including respiratory failure, anoxic brain damage, overactive bladder, and urinary retention, and was dependent for ADLs with severe cognitive impairment. Her care plan directed staff to keep the drainage bag below the bladder at all times, and the order summary required the catheter strap to be in place and holding every shift. During observation, her catheter drainage bag was lying in the bed at the foot of the bed, the tubing was under her right leg and curled on the bed, and no catheter strap was present. RN B stated the drainage bag was not in the right place. Resident #46 had diagnoses including respiratory failure, quadriplegia, epileptic seizure, and dysphagia, and was also severely cognitively impaired and dependent for ADLs. His care plan included catheter care under enhanced barrier precautions, and the order summary required the catheter strap to be in place and holding every shift. During observation, his catheter tubing was under his right leg and no catheter strap was in place. LVN A stated the resident had a shower that day and may have come off in the shower, and he verified that there was an order for the catheter strap to be in place. Resident #7 had a history of cerebral infarction, hemiplegia and hemiparesis, and urinary tract infection, with severe impairment in cognitive skills for daily decision making. His care plan directed staff to ensure tubing was anchored to the resident's leg or linens so it was not pulling on the urethra. During observation, CNA E provided catheter and incontinence care while the resident was without a leg strap for the catheter tubing. CNA E cleansed the catheter by rubbing it back and forth at the point where it met the penis and then used the same wipe again in a manner that did not follow the expected one-direction cleansing technique. The DON later stated staff were expected to clean away from the penis in one fluid motion and not go back with the same soiled wipe.
Catheter Drainage Bag Positioned Above Bladder Level
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a catheter drainage bag remained below the level of the bladder for a resident with a catheter for neurogenic bladder. The resident’s quarterly MDS identified moderately impaired cognition, rejection of care one to 3 days, dependence on staff for dressing, bed mobility, and toileting, and that the resident was always incontinent of bowel and bladder with intermittent catheterization. The care plan directed staff to position the catheter bag and tubing below the level of the bladder, and the facility’s urinary catheter care policy stated the drainage bag should be held or positioned lower than the bladder to prevent backflow. During observation, the resident’s catheter drainage bag was repeatedly found hooked on the wheelchair arm rest above the level of the bladder while the resident was in the commons area and later in the dining room. The catheter tubing contained urine that had not drained down, and the resident stated he was moving the tubing to try to get urine to drain into the bag. Staff interviews confirmed the bag should have been below the bladder for drainage, and one RN stated the resident was on antibiotics for a bladder infection. Multiple staff observed the incorrect placement, and nursing staff did not intervene while the resident was at an activity for about 1 and 1/2 hours.
Foley Bag Placed at Bladder Level During Incontinent Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure appropriate catheter care for a resident with an indwelling Foley catheter. Resident #38 was admitted with diagnoses including obstructive and reflux uropathy, dementia, and age-related physical debility. The resident’s MDS reflected severe cognitive impairment with a BIMS score of 07, and the care plan identified the need for an indwelling Foley catheter due to obstructive uropathy related to penile and scrotal swelling, along with a potential for UTI. The care plan also directed staff to keep the urine collection bag below the level of the bladder and off the floor at all times. During observation of perineal care, the resident’s urine collection bag was removed from the bed frame after being emptied and placed inside a clear plastic bag on the resident’s bed next to his left leg. At that time, the Foley bag was at the level of the resident’s bladder. The observation further showed yellow urine moving from the middle of the catheter toward the insertion site at the resident’s penis while the resident was repositioned from his back to his right side. The Foley bag remained on the bed until the incontinent care was completed. Interviews confirmed that staff understood the bag should remain below the bladder to prevent backflow of urine, and the CNA acknowledged it was his mistake that the bag was placed on the bed. The DON stated she instructed the CNA to empty the bag, cover it with a plastic bag, and place it on the bed during care. The facility’s catheter care policy stated that the urinary drainage bag must be held or positioned lower than the bladder at all times to prevent urine from flowing back into the urinary bladder.
Unsecured Foley Catheter and Incomplete Incontinent Care
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure appropriate catheter care for a resident with an indwelling Foley catheter. Resident #7 was admitted with obstructive and reflux uropathy, had an order for a Foley catheter with a leg strap to be monitored each shift and as needed, and had a care plan addressing catheter-related trauma and urinary infection prevention. During observed catheter care, the Foley catheter tubing was not secured to the resident’s leg. CNA D and CNA E both stated they did not notice the catheter was unsecured, and both acknowledged that the catheter should be secured to prevent twisting, pulling, and injury. The DON also stated that indwelling catheters should be secure to prevent pulling and possible injury. The facility also failed to provide complete incontinent care for a resident who was incontinent of bowel and had an indwelling catheter. Resident #34 had severe cognitive impairment, was dependent on staff for toileting and personal hygiene, and had a care plan directing staff to cleanse the perineal area with mild cleanser after each episode. During observed incontinent care, CNA J and CNA G cleaned the penis, scrotum, and catheter tubing, and cleaned the left buttock and perineum after the resident had a small bowel movement. However, after the soiled brief was removed and a clean brief was placed, neither CNA cleaned the resident’s inner thigh areas or the right buttock area. During interview, CNA J stated she was not aware that the inner thighs and right buttock had not been cleaned and said those areas should have been wiped. CNA G stated she had received training on incontinent care and acknowledged that if the inner thigh and buttock areas were not properly cleaned, the resident could get an infection. The facility’s perineal/incontinent care policy stated that for a male resident staff should wipe the perineal area including the penis, scrotum, inner thighs, and rectal area thoroughly, including under the scrotum, the anus, and the buttocks.
Catheter Bag and Tubing Left in Contact With Floor
Penalty
Summary
Appropriate catheter care was not provided for Resident R144, who was observed seated in a wheelchair in the entrance of the resident's assigned room with the catheter bag outside of the privacy bag. Approximately the bottom third of the catheter bag and the tubing were resting directly on the floor, and the resident moved the wheelchair and ran over the exposed catheter bag. When the situation was brought to RN15's attention, RN15 secured the catheter bag and tubing off the floor. RN15 confirmed that appropriate treatment and care of the catheter bag and tubing was to ensure it was not in direct contact with the floor.
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