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NCT Number: NCT06881849

Duration of Urinary Catheterization Following Cesarean Deliveries Under Neuraxial Anesthesia

In cesarean deliveries, urinary catheters are often used to help empty the bladder while patients have limited mobility. These catheters typically stay in during early recovery because certain pain medications can make it hard for patients to urinate. Recently, the Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) recommended removing catheters within 6-12 hours after delivery to aid recovery. However, at BC Women's Hospital, a review found that catheters stayed in for an average of 19 to 19.4 hours, even when patients were mobile.

Leaving catheters in too long can increase the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), pain, and urination issues, which can delay recovery and extend hospital stays. An internal review showed that factors like patient anxiety may affect when catheters are removed. Postpartum anxiety affects around 9.9% to 20.7% of new mothers in the first year and is an important factor in recovery after a cesarean delivery.

The main goal of this study is to look at how long urinary catheters stay in patients who had a cesarean delivery under spinal or epidural anesthesia, and what the score is from a questionnaire used to measure anxiety called the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), to see if there is a link between them.

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Key information

Conditions

Cesarean Delivery Urinary Catheterization

Age range

19 year and older

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Observational

Primary location

About this study

This study aims to analyze how long foley catheters stay in the patient after their cesarean delivery under neuraxial anesthesia and what barriers there are in taking them out earlier.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients ≥19 years of age.
  • Undergoing cesarean delivery (elective or emergent) at BC Women's Hospital.
  • Neuraxial anesthesia as their primary mode of anesthesia (spinal, epidural, combined spinal-epidural, dural-puncture epidural).
  • In-patient status at 24 (+/- 8) hours.
  • Self-reported proficiency in speaking and reading English.

Exclusion criteria

  • Refusal to participate.
  • Inability to provide informed consent.
  • Other surgery (i.e. cervical cerclage) or delivery modes (i.e. operative vaginal delivery).
  • De novo general anesthetic, or patients who had a conversion from neuraxial to a general anesthetic.
  • Communication from patient's nurse indicating that it is not appropriate to approach due to distressing birth experience and/or outcome.

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Correlation between duration of urinary catheterization and STAI-S score

    Time frame: From the time of enrollment until urinary catheter removal, assessed up to 24 (+/- 8) postpartum.

    The STAI-S scale measures the respondents current state of anxiety by using terms to evaluate subjective feelings of worry, apprehension, concern, and nervousness. The scoring is 20-37 to indicate low anxiety, 38-44 to indicate moderate anxiety, and 45-80 to indicate high anxiety.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Timing of delivery

    Time frame: From urinary catheter placement until its removal, assessed up to 24 (+/- 8) hours postpartum, categorized based on delivery time (e.g., morning: 06:00-11:59, afternoon: 12:00-17:59, evening/night: 18:00-05:59)

    This outcome measures the duration of urinary catheterization in relation to the time of delivery. Specifically, it examines whether the time of day a patient delivers (e.g., morning vs. afternoon vs. evening/night) is associated with differences in the length of time the urinary catheter remains in place. The duration of catheterization will be recorded in hours from placement to removal and compared across delivery time categories

  2. Neuraxial Technique

    Time frame: From urinary catheter placement until its removal, assessed up 24 (+/- 8) hours postpartum, categorized by neuraxial technique used during delivery

    This outcome measures the duration of urinary catheterization in relation to the neuraxial anesthesia technique used for delivery. Specifically, it examines whether different neuraxial techniques (e.g., spinal, epidural, combined spinal-epidural, or dural-puncture epidural) are associated with differences in the length of time the urinary catheter remains in place. The duration of catheterization will be recorded in hours from placement to removal and compared across neuraxial technique groups

  3. Opioid Dose

    Time frame: From urinary catheter placement until its removal, assessed up to 24 (+/- 8) hours postpartum, categorized by total neuraxial opioid dose administered.

    This outcome measures the duration of urinary catheterization in relation to the total opioid dose administered during neuraxial anesthesia for delivery. Specifically, it examines whether higher or lower opioid doses are associated with differences in the length of time the urinary catheter remains in place. The duration of catheterization will be recorded in hours from placement to removal and analyzed in relation to the opioid dose received during cesarean delivery. These opioid doses will be taken down: Total dose of spinal bupivacaine (mg), total dose of spinal fentanyl (mcg), total dose of spinal morphine (mg), total dose of epidural lidocaine (mg), total dose of epidural fentanyl (mcg), total dose of epidural morphine (mg).

  4. Nursing Perception

    Time frame: Survey completed by the patient's postpartum nurse within 24 (+/- 8) hours after urinary catheter removal.

    This outcome measures postpartum nurses' perceptions of barriers to early urinary catheter removal. Nurses will complete a brief survey assessing nine predefined factors that may contribute to delayed catheter removal. Specifically, 'patient had difficulty mobilizing and/or voiding', 'patient had pain', 'patient was fatigued', 'patient experienced emotional and/or psychological distress', 'patient went to the NICU', 'patient requested to keep catheter in', 'patient had a history of infection (such as UTIs)', 'patient had a history of urinary retention', and 'concern about patient requiring re-catheterization'. Responses will be recorded as "Yes" or "No" for each statement, and the overall distribution of responses will be analyzed to identify common perceived barriers.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Aislynn L. Sharrock, BA (Hons)

CONTACT

[email protected]

604-875-2158

Juliana Barrera, MD MSc FRCPC

CONTACT

[email protected]

604-875-6076

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of British Columbia

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Duration of Urinary Catheterization Following Cesarean Deliveries Under Neuraxial Anesthesia: A Prospective Cohort Study

Acronym: DUCC

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Mar 18, 2025
Registry last updated
Mar 18, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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