Role of point-of-care ultrasound to prevent dilatation of false passage in a critically ill patient with urethral stricture

Abstract

Urethral strictures are fairly common in elderly males getting admitted to the intensive care unit. Urethral catheterization is mostly done as a blind procedure and often leads to urethral trauma and, sometimes, false channelization in a patient who is many a time sedated, intubated, and is unable to tell about extreme of pain occurring which could warn the handler. Fluoroscopy is utilized in difficult situations to aid insertion, but this is not always an option for patients in intensive care units. The scope of ultrasonography is expanding in the practice of critical care. We used point-of-care ultrasound to confirm the position of guidewire before dilatation, in order to prevent dilatation of false passage.