The Effect on Catheter-Related Complıcatıons of Clamping Method the Indwelling Urinary Catheters in ICU Patıents: A Randomızed Controlled Trial

Nurses are key professionals in the prevention of complications associated with indwelling urinary catheterization in the hospital setting. In this context, bladder training through catheter clamping is an important nursing practice. Indwelling catheter clamping in bladder training was first proposed by Ross in 1936. There is no clear information and sufficient evidence for catheter clamping in bladder training before urinary catheter removal in national and international guidelines for clinical practice.

In a study by Williamson (1982) on this subject, it was reported that intermittent clamping before removal of the indwelling urinary catheter reduces the frequency of urinary retention and shortens the time to return to normal bladder function. However, a systematic review published in Cochrane (2007) on strategies for removal of short-term indwelling urethral catheters in adults found insufficient evidence to suggest that catheter clamping prior to termination of catheterization is effective to induce normal bladder filling. In another systematic review published in Cochrane (2016), there was no significant difference between the patients' subjective perceptions of recatheterization, urinary retention, catheter-related urinary tract infection and urination symptoms in the clamping and free drainage groups.

In the limited number of studies on bladder training performed by clamping the indwelling urinary catheter, no evidence for practice could be obtained, and there is no consensus among clinicians yet. Ultimately, more research, better quality methodology, and more diverse study designs are needed until strong evidence is available to remove this uncertainty.