Midnight removal: an improved approach to removal of catheters. Removal of catheter at midnight versus early morning: the patients' perspective. Removal of urinary catheters: midnight vs 0600 hours. Randomised study of the effect of midnight versus 0600 removal of urinary catheters. Does evening removal of urinary catheters shorten hospital stay among general hospital patients? A randomized controlled trial. A comparison of midnight versus early morning removal of urinary catheters after transurethral resection of the prostate. Early removal advances discharge home. Comparison of midnight and early morning catheter removal following prostatectomy. Is an indwelling catheter necessary for bladder drainage after modified Burch colposuspension? How long should urinary bladder catheterisation be continued after vaginal prolapse surgery? A randomised controlled trial comparing short term versus long term catheterisation after vaginal prolapse surgery.
There is no recognised policy regarding the timing of urethral catheter removal, although early morning removal is commonly practised. Removing the catheter at midnight allows patients to return to a normal voiding pattern more rapidly and to leave hospital earlier. With an increasing role of the patient as a partner in making a combined decision in care plan goals, it is important to identify the patient's perspective of the experience of removal of catheter (ROC).
                A non-consecutive prospective randomized study was performed in 84 patients who underwent a transurethral resection of the prostate to determine the impact of midnight versus early-morning ROC on sleep deprivation, over all discomfort to the patient.
                There was no difference in the patient experience in both groups. We found a reduced frequency during the first 6 h of ROC at midnight. However, there was an increased incidence of sleep disturbances in this group. This may in part be due to an anxiety of urge incontinence and may be allayed by appropriate counselling. There was no delay in discharge of the patients in both groups.
                The patients must, therefore, be given the choice of ROC either at midnight or early morning, as the advantages of a reduced frequency must be correlated with an increased incidence of sleep disturbances.
                2005 S. Karger AG, Basel In the fields of both nursing and medicine there is a dearth of published literature on the optimum time to remove indwelling urinary catheters (IDCs) following urological surgery. Tradition seems to be in favour of removing IDCs at 0600 hours despite a lack of evidence to support this practice. This study was undertaken to determine whether midnight removal of IDCs resulted in patients' resuming normal voiding patterns. A prospective clinical trial was conducted to determine the impact midnight removal of urinary catheters would have on the patients' voiding pattern, and subsequent discharge from hospital. One hundred and sixty patients were entered into the study. The patients were allocated at random to have their urinary catheter removed either at midnight or at 0600 hours. Patients who had their catheters removed at midnight passed a greater volume of urine with both their first (268 ml compared with 177 ml; P<0.0001) and second voids (322 ml compared with 195 ml; P<0.0001) than their counterparts in the 0600 group. This permitted earlier discharge from hospital. The results reported in this study support the findings of earlier research that midnight removal of IDC leads to an earlier resumption of normal voiding patterns, permits earlier discharge from hospital and appears to reduce patients' anxiety. The recommendation from this study is that there should be a change in hospital policy so that the majority of IDCs are removed at midnight. A randomised controlled trial was undertaken to determine the effects of midnight removal of urinary catheters on patients' voiding patterns and subsequent discharge from hospital. Patients whose urinary catheters were removed at midnight showed a greater volume of initial void than those whose catheters were removed at the usual time of 0600. Removal of urinary catheters routinely at midnight permits earlier assessment of patients' voiding, which may allow for earlier discharge from hospital. Literature indicates that removing urinary catheters at midnight facilitates earlier discharge among urology patients, but the effect of evening removal on the general patient population is unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate whether removing a urinary catheter at 22.00 hours compared to 06.00 hours among a general hospital population would lead to earlier hospital discharge.
                Randomized controlled trial.
                The study was conducted in a large tertiary hospital in Brisbane, Australia. Two hundred and ten general surgical and medical patients who had an indwelling catheter as part of their routine care were included.
                Length of hospital stay after catheter removal was not significantly affected by the timing of its removal among general hospital patients: mean hours morning 186.1; mean evening 209.3, (P = .309). In a cohort of surgical patients, the hospital stay was shorter in the evening removal group (mean hours morning 186.1; mean evening 209.3), but this result was not statistically significant (P = .127). Patients in the evening group were more likely to have a longer time period between catheter removal and the first postcatheter void, mean hours morning, 3.76 vs evening, 4.89 (t = -2.59, CI - 1.99 to -0.27). Timing of removal of the urinary catheter had no effect on the volume of the first void, mean volume morning, 214.7 mL vs evening, 221.4 mL. Twenty-five (12.1%) patients were recatheterized, but the rate of recatheterization between groups was similar. There were no differences in postdischarge problems between groups.
                Among general hospital patients, removing an indwelling urinary catheter at 22:00 hours does not shorten the length of stay and is effective in increasing the time to first void. This article describes a study that compares the outcomes of midnight versus early morning urethral catheter removal after transurethral resection of the prostate. SUBJECTS AND SETTING/METHODS: The research setting was a large, metropolitan hospital in Sydney, Australia. Forty-eight patients who had undergone transurethral resection of the prostate were randomly assigned to either group A, catheter removal at 2400 hours (n = 20), or group B, catheter removal at 0600 hours (n = 28).
                Data collected included time to first void, volume of first void, time between catheter removal and discharge from hospital, weight of prostatic resection, and tissue pathology.
                There was no significant difference between the 2 groups with respect to pathology, weight of prostatic resection, mean volume of first void, or time to first void after catheter removal. There was a significant difference in the time between catheter removal and discharge from hospital. Eighty-five percent of those having catheters removed at 2400 hours were discharged on the same day as catheter removal, as compared with 65% of those who underwent catheter removal at 0600 hours (chi 2 = 12.684; P < 0.005).
                After transurethral resection of the prostate, removal of the urethral catheter at 2400 hours reduced the length of hospital stay, but did not significantly affect the time to first void or the volume of the first void. Resumption of normal voiding is necessary before prostatectomy patients can be discharged from hospital. This study assesses the effect upon this of the timing of catheter removal. Catheterization is considered to be a mandatory procedure for adequate bladder drainage following an anti-incontinence operation until the recovery of normal voiding function occurs. We conducted this prospective study to challenge this practice. A total of 86 patients with genuine stress incontinence who underwent a modified Burch coplosuspension were randomized into two groups based on the day of operation. The study group consisted of 42 patients who had the transurethral Foley catheter removed postoperatively the next morning (Group A). The control group was composed of 43 patients who had the transurethral indwelling catheter left in place until the fifth postoperative day (Group B). The percentages of immediate voiding difficulties in Groups A and B were 7.1% and 0%, respectively ( P>0.05). The postoperative urinary tract infection rates of Groups A and B were 16.6% and 23.3%, respectively ( P>0.05). The success rates of our patients were not compromised after our modified operative procedures (78.6% with dry results and 19.0% with improved symptoms in Group A vs. 74.4% with dry results and 20.9% with improved symptoms in Group B, P >0.05). Our results imply that it is not necessary that an indwelling catheter, for bladder drainage, be left in place until the fifth postoperative day to prevent immediate voiding difficulties. To determine whether prolonged urinary bladder catheterisation after vaginal prolapse surgery is advantageous.
                Randomised controlled trial.
                A large training hospital in the Netherlands.
                Patients undergoing anterior colporrhaphy.
                One hundred patients were included. Patients were randomised into two groups. In one group (n= 50), a transurethral catheter was in place for four days post-operatively and removed on the fifth post-operative day. In the other group (n= 50), catheterisation was not prolonged and the catheter was removed the morning after surgery. Residual volumes after removal of the catheter were measured by ultrasound scanning. Where residual volumes of >200 mL were found the patient was recatheterised for three more days. Urinary cultures were taken before removal of the catheter. Six patients were excluded: four in the standard prolonged catheterisation group and two in the not prolonged catheterisation group.
                Need for recatheterisation, urinary tract infection, mean duration of catheterisation and hospital stay.
                Residual volumes exceeding 200 mL and need for recatheterisation occurred in 9% in the standard prolonged catheterisation group versus 40% of patients in the not prolonged catheterisation group (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.045-0.47). Positive urine cultures were found in 40% of cases in the standard prolonged catheterisation group compared with 4% in the not prolonged catheterisation group (OR 15, 95% CI 3.2-68.6). Mean duration of catheterisation was 5.3 days in the standard prolonged catheterisation group and 2.3 days in the not prolonged catheterisation group (P < 0.001). Mean duration of hospitalisation was 7 days in the standard prolonged catheterisation group and 5.7 days in the not prolonged group (P < 0.001).
                The disadvantages of prolonged catheterisation outweigh the advantages, therefore, removal of the catheter on the morning after surgery may be preferable and longer term catheterisation should only be undertaken where there are specific indications.
There is suggestive but inconclusive evidence of a benefit from midnight removal of the indwelling urethral catheter. There are resource implications but the magnitude of these is not clear from the trials. The evidence also suggests shorter hospital stay after early rather than delayed catheter removal but the effects on other outcomes are unclear. There is little evidence on which to judge other aspects of management, such as catheter clamping.