Pilot Study of the Safety of a Daily Ethanol Lock for Urinary Catheters in Critically Ill Children

This study involves a confirmatory/refuting approach to the above stated hypothesis. The investigators will test this hypothesis by addressing the following aims/objectives:

Specific Aim 1:

Quantify blood alcohol levels after a 1 hour 74% ethanol lock in urinary catheters utilized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Specific Aim 2:

Compare cellular components in urinalyses after the introduction of the ethanol locks.

Potential study subjects will be recruited from the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta - Egleston Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Children that are anticipated to have an indwelling urinary catheter for >48 hours will be included. For this pilot study, the investigators will enroll 10 patients. Subject ages will range from 6 months to 17 years. Children who are on a service other than Critical Care Medicine will have clearance from the primary team prior to approaching for enrollment. The consent process will take place prior to or during the initial 24 hours of urinary catheter placement.

Inclusion criteria

• Age: 6 months - 17 years
• Urinary catheter placed at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
• Anticipated urinary catheter need for > 48 hours
• Parent or legal guardian (or patient when applicable) consent for enrollment.

Exclusion criteria

• 18 yo or older.
• Urosepsis at time of study enrollment
• Known bladder or genitourinary abnormalities
• Chronic bladder drainage regimen
• Urologic surgeries (as part of the current admission)
• Medical urgency preventing timely administration of the consenting process, or any condition that, in the opinion of the attending physician, would place the patient at undue risk by participating.
• Anuria or oliguria (<0.5 cc/kg/hr averaged over the previous 12 hours)
• Other technical considerations that would prevent the timely acquisition of sufficient samples such as (but not limited to) absence of a study team member.
• Parent or legal guardian (or patient when applicable) refuses to sign informed consent.