Description
To describe a catheter tip syringe in brief, it is a “syringe without a needle.” It can also be called “inrrigation syringe” or “tipped syringe“.
These are syringes whose principal use is to flush or clean a catheter or a gastrostomy tube. They are also used to inject fluid through a tube. Used in injecting a liquid or a drug, the barrel has clear and precise markings for measuring volume to be administered. A retaining ring is put in place to prevent accidental withdrawal of the plunger from the barrel. For the patient’s safety, the syringe is individually wrapped and sterile.
A catheter tip syringe has polypropylene (PP) as the building material. It consists of the following parts: PP barrel, PP plunger, and latex or latex free gasket. The 50 and 60 ml catheter tip syringes are normally provided with PP protective cap, while the 100 and 120 ml are equipped with connectors.
Sizes
Catheter tip syringes are available in 50, 60, 100, 120 ml or larger.
Catheter
The catheter tip syringe and a catheter work together. A catheter is a flexible tube inserted through a narrow opening into a body cavity, particularly the bladder, for removing fluid. One type of catheter is called a Foley catheter. Upon inserting it into the urinary bladder, a small balloon at the tip inflates to anchor it inside the bladder. Once secured, it stays in place until after suctioning out the water in the balloon.
Uses of catheter tip syringe in brief
- To inflate the balloon of the Foley catheter by injecting fluid into it.
- To deflate the balloon of the Foley catheter by aspirating the fluid placed inside it.
- To flush the catheter with liquid to remove an obstruction or to clean it.
- To inject fluid, medications, or authorized feedings through the nasogastric tube.
- To flush fluid into the nasogastric duct to remove the obstruction or clean it.
- To inject air through the nasogastric tube to determine if the device’s tip is inside the stomach.
- To aspirate the fluid content of the stomach.
- To irrigate a wound.
An elaborate description of medical uses
Prostatic enlargement
When the prostate enlarges, the urine flow from the urinary bladder into the outside cannot occur. In this situation, a Foley catheter will be inserted through the urethra to relieve the obstruction and allow urine flow. After finishing the insertion, the balloon located at the tip of the Foley catheter inflates by injecting fluid using a catheter tip syringe. When it is time to remove the Foley catheter, the balloon deflates by suctioning out the liquid from the balloon using a catheter tip syringe. Thus, both placement and removal of the catheter require a catheter tip syringe.
In addition to prostatic enlargement, if the prostate has undergone surgery, the urinary bladder may not be able to squeeze out the urine inside its chamber. Therefore, inserting a Foley catheter and anchoring it inside the urinary bladder is necessary. As in prostatic enlargement, both the placement and removal require a catheter tip syringe.
While the Foley catheter is in place, obstructions may take place. With this problem, the catheter needs to be flushed with sterilized water to dissolve the blockage and clean it simultaneously. This flushing requires a catheter tip syringe.
Two routes of placing the Foley catheter in prostatic enlargement or after prostatic surgery. Anchoring and removing the Foley catheter requires a catheter tip syringe.
Proper placement of the nasogastric tube
The nasogastric tube (NGT) allows foods and fluids from the nose and the stomach. If the patient cannot swallow his food or his medications, he will need NGT. In inserting the NGT, one necessary precaution must be observed: that the device’s tip must reach the inside of the stomach and not to another anatomical site. Some medical problems may ensue if the device’s end enters the respiratory tract or the small intestines. For instance, if the device’s tip enters the respiratory tract, the foods and medicines coursed through the NGT will reach the lungs. Consequently, the patient may experience difficulty breathing. The foods and medications reaching the lungs will cause lung infections that the patient may die from it. Other complications that may arise from accidentally entering the respiratory tree are perforation of bronchus or lung or pulmonary hemorrhage.
Thus, the ascertainment of the correct location of the tip of the NGT is of paramount importance. There are many ways of confirming if the end of the NGT is inside the stomach. A certain amount of air is injected into the NGT using the catheter tip syringe. Simultaneously, the diaphragm of the stethoscope stays over the left upper abdomen. If a bubbling sound rumbles after injecting the air, then the tip is inside the stomach. Other ways of doing confirmation are x-ray of the stomach or gastric content aspiration.
The proper placement of the nasogastric tube (NGT) is essential. The tip of the NGT must be inside the stomach and not to another anatomical site. Catheter tip syringe helps in this confirmation
Administering osteorized feedings or medications
Suppose a patient needs osteorized feedings or medications through the NGT. In that case, the catheter tip serves as the feeding syringe (refer to Figure 2). Suppose slight pressure on the foods or medications is needed. Pushing the plunger will facilitate the entry into the stomach.
Wound irrigation
Health caretakers must remove the scabs, debris, clusters of bacteria, blood secretions, remnants of dressings, and remaining topical medications on the injury to facilitate the healing. If not done, immediate recovery of the wound will not take place. Thus, wound irrigation is an essential part of the management. In this process, using a catheter tip syringe, an irrigating solution is flushed over the wound, and the unnecessary materials over it go away. The irrigating solution must be applied with some pressure but not too strong for the flushing to be more effective. A catheter tip syringe can very well do this.
