Skip to main content
  1. Right Decisions
  2. GGC - Clinical Guideline Platform
  3. Gynaecology
  4. Back
  5. Gynaecology guidelines
  6. Postoperative bladder care (688)
Announcements and latest updates

Right Decision Service newsletter: April 2024

Welcome to the Right Decision Service (RDS) newsletter for April 2024. 

Issues with RDS and Umbraco access

Tactuum has been working hard to address the issues experienced during the last week. They have identified a series of three mitigation measures and put the first of these in place on Friday 3rd May.  If this does not resolve the problems, the second mitigation will be actioned, and then the third if necessary.

Please keep a lookout for any slowing down of the system or getting locked out. Please email myself, mbuchner@tactuum.com and onivarova@tactuum.com if you experience any problems, and also please raise an urgent support ticket via the Support Portal.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while we achieve a full resolution.

Promotion and communication resources

A rotating carousel presenting some of the key RDS tools and capabilities, and an editable slideset, are now available in the Resources for RDS providers section of the Learning and Support toolkit.

Redesign and improvements to RDS

The redesign of RDS Search and Browse is still on-track for delivery by mid-June 2024. We then plan to have a 3-week user acceptance testing phase before release to live. All editors and toolkit owners on this mailing list will be invited to participate in the UAT.

The archiving and version control functionality is also progressing well and we will advise on timescales for user acceptance testing shortly.

Tactuum is also progressing with the deep linking to individual toolkits within the mobile RDS app. There are several unknowns around the time and effort required for this work, which will only become clear as the work progresses. So we need to be careful to protect budget for this purpose.

New feature requests

These have all been compiled and effort estimated. Once the redesign work is complete, these will be prioritised in line with the remaining budget. We expect this to take place around late June.

Evaluation

Many thanks to those of you completed the value and impact survey we distributed in February. Here are some key findings from the 65 responses we received.

Figure 1: Impact of RDS on direct delivery of care

Key figures

  • 93% say that RDS has improved evidence-informed practice (high impact 62%; some impact 31%)
  • 91% report that RDS has improved consistency in practice (high impact 65%, some impact 26%)
  • 85% say that RDS has improved patient safety (high impact 59%, some impact 26%)
  • Although shared decision-making tools are only a recent addition to RDS, and only represent a small proportion of the current toolset, 85% of respondents still said that RDS had delivered impact in this area (53% high impact, 32% some impact.) 92% anticipate that RDS will deliver impact on shared decision-making in future and 85% believe it will improve delivery of personalised care in future.

Figure 2 shows RDS impact to date on delivery of health and care services

 

Key figures

These data show how RDS is already contributing to NHS reform priorities and supporting delivery of more sustainable care.

Saving time and money

  • RDS clearly has a strong impact on saving practitioner time, with 90% of respondents reporting that this is the case. 65% say it has a high impact; 25% say it has some impact on time-saving.
  • It supports devolved decision-making across the multi-professional team (85% of respondents)
  • 76% of respondents confirm that it saves money compared, for example, to investing in commercial apps (54% high impact; 22% some impact.)
  • 72% believe it has impacted already on saving money and reducing waste in the way services are delivered – e.g. reducing costs of referral management, prescribing, admissions.

Quality assurance and governance

  • RDS leads are clear that RDS has improved local governance of guidelines, with 87% confirming that this is the case. (62% high impact; 25% some impact.)

Service innovation and workforce development

  • RDS is a major driver for service innovation and improvement (83% of respondents) and has impacted significantly on workforce knowledge and skills (92% of respondents – 66% high impact; 26% some impact).

New toolkits

A few examples of toolkits published to live in the last month:

Toolkits in development

Some of the toolkits the RDS team is currently working on:

  • SARCS (Sexual Assault Response Coordination Service)
  • Staffing method framework – Care Inspectorate.
  • SIGN 171 - Diabetes in pregnancy
  • SIGN 158 – British Guideline on Management of Asthma. Selected sections will be incorporated into the RDS, and complemented by a new chronic asthma pathway being developed by SIGN, British Thoracic Society and NICE.
  • Clinical pathways from NHS Fife and NHS Lanarkshire

Please contact his.decisionsupport@nhs.scot if you would like to learn more about a toolkit. The RDS team will put you in touch with the relevant toolkit lead.

Quality audit of RDS toolkits

Thanks to all of you who have responded to the retrospective quality audit survey and to the follow up questions.  We still have some following up to do, and to work with owners of a further 23 toolkits to complete responses. An interim report is being presented to the HIS Quality and Performance Committee.

Implementation projects

Eight clinical services and two public library services are undertaking tests of change to implement the Being a partner in my care app. This app aims to support patients and the public to become active participants in Realistic Medicine. It has a strong focus on personalised, person-centred care and a library of shared decision aids, as well as simple explanations and videoclips to help the public to understand the aims of Realistic Medicine.  The tests of change will inform guidance and an implementation model around wider adoption and spread of the app.

With kind regards

Right Decision Service team

Healthcare Improvement Scotland

Postoperative bladder care (688)

Objectives

  • To standardise the practice for management of bladder care after uncomplicated gynaecological procedures
  • To diagnose and manage postoperative voiding problems

Please report any inaccuracies or issues with this guideline using our online form

Background

One in 10 women in the immediate postoperative period following gynaecological surgery will have urinary retention. Indwelling catheters are associated with increased risks of urinary tract infection (UTI) and the longer they are in situ, the higher the risk of UTI.

Postoperative bladder voiding issues may be due to:

  • Pre-existing voiding problems
  • Bruising /swelling around bladder/urethra e.g. after anterior colporrhaphy
  • Over-distension of the bladder by delayed trial of voiding (TOV) can cause bladder atony
  • Physical obstruction - stress urinary incontinence procedures eg mid-urethral sling, colposuspension, autologous fascial sling (AFS)
  • Clot retention e.g. bladder injury during surgery

Removal of Catheter After Surgery

  • The planned date for catheter removal should be clearly documented in the postoperative care plan
  • All urethral catheters should be removed at 06.00 the next morning as per ERAS unless otherwise stated in the operation notes or there are clinical concerns
  • Patients who have had colposuspension (open/laparoscopic) or AFS usually have indwelling catheter for at least 48 hours
  • Women who do not have an indwelling catheter (this includes midurethral sling and bladder neck injection) should have a trial of void 4 hours after surgery
  • For the trial of void, women should be encouraged to drink normally and aim to pass urine at around 4 hrs.
  • All urogynaecological procedures, ie those for incontinence and prolapse repair, should have a bladder scan after the first two voids. The residuals should be recorded in the ‘bladder diary’ (see Appendix 1).

Trial without catheter (TWOC)

  • Measure the urine volume after each void, no later than 6 hours from catheter removal
  • Residual volume should be measured immediately after the patient passes urine
  • If uncomfortable and unable to pass urine 4 hours after catheter removal, check bladder residual by scan and follow protocol as below (Table 1).

Women undergoing AFS

  • These women are very likely to have voiding dysfunction (80%) and are taught Clean Intermittent Self Catheterisation (CISC) pre-operatively. They should be encouraged and supported to do CISC if required post-operatively. Patients who are unable to perform CISC should be discharged with an indwelling catheter and followed up by the urogynaecology nurses.

Assessment and Management of Post-void Residual

Table 1: Assessment and Management of Post-void Residual 

Volume voided

Diagnosis

Action

2 voids each >200 ml

USS residual <50% of voided volume

Normal

Nil required

Small volume (<200mL) voided

Frequency of micturition (1-2 hourly)

Likely incomplete bladder emptying

Bladder scan residual after second void. 

If voided volumes increase (>50% of residuals) and residual volume decrease, continue trial of void.

If voided volumes are not increasing and residuals ≥ voided volume see below

Unable to pass urine or residuals 

> 50% of voided volumes 4– 6 hours post operatively

Urinary retention

Inform medical staff

Perform vaginal examination to assess for haematoma/bruising

Insert indwelling catheter – short Female size 12

  • If the patient is discharged with an indwelling catheter following a midurethral sling procedure, inform the surgeon who performed the operation as early division of the tape may be required
  • Patients with voiding concerns following bladder neck injection should have CISC performed by nursing staff. If voiding fails to improve over 48 hours, offer to teach patient CISC and refer to urogynaecology nurses. Discuss with the urogynaecology team if patient is unable to perform CISC and continues to have voiding difficulties. Do not insert an indwelling catheter as this may compromise the outcome of the procedure.
  • Women who have a successful TWOC but remain as an inpatient should continue to have their bladder/voiding assessed by monitoring input/output. Ensure patient is voiding 3-4 times/day and has no sensation of incomplete bladder emptying

Guidelines for women sent home with an indwelling catheter

  • Ensure woman understands catheter care and a follow-up appointment for TWOC in the gynaecology ward is in place. She should have an emergency contact number for the ward.
  • Prophylactic antibiotics are not routinely required unless symptomatic of infection.
  • A Foley catheter size 12 with a flip-flo valve and leg bag should be used. The valve should be released every 4 hours during the day and the leg bag should be left on free drainage overnight.

First TWOC after an episode of retention

Table 2: First TWOC after an episode of retention

2 voids, each >200mL

USS residual <50% of voided volume

No further intervention

Residual volumes > 50% of voiding volumes despite trying double void technique 

Teach CISC

Contact the Urogynaecology specialist nurse team for follow up 

  • If TWOC unsuccessful after 1 week, please inform the responsible clinician

Appendix 1: POSTOPERATIVE BLADDER DIARY

Postoperative Bladder Diary (Word doc)

Contacts for further assistance

QEUH
Karen Nicolson        
Senior Charge Nurse, Urogynaecology
Karen.Nicolson@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
01412012264

PRM
Julie Graham        
Senior Charge Nurse, Gynaecology
Ward 56 
Julie.Graham@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
01412114433

RAH
Ward 32
01418879111

Editorial Information

Last reviewed: 01/06/2019

Next review date: 01/06/2024

Author(s): Veenu Tyagi.

Approved By: Gynaecology Clinical Governance Group

Document Id: 688

References
  1. Bodker B, Lose G. Postoperative urinary retention in gynaecological patients. Int Urogynecol J (2003) 14: 94–97
  2. Hakvoort R, Thijs S, Bouwmeester F, Broekman A, Ruhe I, Vernooij M, Burger M, Emanuel M, Roovers J. Comparing clean intermittent catheterisation and transurethral indwelling catheterisation for incomplete voiding after vaginal Prolapse surgery: a multicentre randomised trial. BJOG 2011; 118:1055–1060