The nurse is preparing to obtain a urine culture from a patient with an indwelling catheter. To collect the specimen, the nurse should:

Wipe the aspiration port with an alcohol swab and aspirate with a sterile syringe.

Explanation

• Indwelling catheters typically have an aspiration port that is self-sealing. This port should be cleaned with an alcohol swab or other antiseptic before aspirating urine

• Urine in the drainage bag may be contaminated and could falsely affect the culture result

• A catheter should not be clamped for more than 30 minutes

• An indwelling catheter is a closed drainage system. Any break in this system will introduce bacteria. Disconnecting the tube or inserting a needle directly through the tubing will break the closed system

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