The 5 Best Bladder Scanners [Ranked]
Bladder ultrasound machines allow nurses and other medical professionals to perform non-invasive evaluations of residual urine issues in patients, called a Radionuclide Cystogram (Source).
Residual urine can occur when there is either a neurological or physical obstruction preventing the natural flow of urine, or preventing the detrusor muscle from normal contractions (Source).
Generally, a bladder ultrasound is a normal procedure conducted as part of continence assessments. Many nurses who work within urology departments are specially trained on how to perform one (Source).
There are a couple high-quality bladder scanners on the market- let's take a look at them and see how they size up.
Contents
Comparing Them
| Bladder Scanners | Price | Dimensions | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
  | The Portable Bladder Scanner | $ | 12.20 X 10.2 X 2 inches | 41 lbs |
  | The Medline BioCon CUBEscan 700 Bladder Scanner | $$ | 15.8 x 12.8 x 12.6 inches | 10 lbs |
  | The Biocon-500 Bladder Scanner | $$ | 13.4 X 9.45 X 3.95 inches | 10 lbs |
  | The 3-D BioCon-500 Bladder Scanner With Printer | $$$ | 19 x 18 x 6 inches | 12 lbs |
  | BioCon CUBEscan 700 Bladder Scanner with Printer | $$$ | 7.95 X 2.6 X 4.06 inches | 12 lbs |
How To Use A Bladder Scanner
1. Switch ON the machine by pushing the Power button.
2. Review Operator Login Options: Some bladder scanners have operator login abilities. a) Pad Scan bladder scanning device comes with an operator sign in method that enables approved workers to login. b) You could include new owners with an admin name and password within the settings menu.
3. Enter in the client's information a)Enter into the patient management area. b) Choose the client's sex by pressing the gender symbol.
4. Get the patient ready a) Get the client to lie down in a supine position with their abs relaxed. b) Slather an adequate amount of gel midline on to the medical client's abdomial area, roughly Three centimeters, just over an inch above the pubic bone.
5. Angle the bladder scanner towards the bladder a) position yourself at the person's right side. b) Position the bladder scanning probe on to the gel and ensure the sensor button is in front of the person's head directly. c) lean the bladder scanning probe somewhat towards the client's tail-bone therefore the scan clears the actual pubic bone.
6. Click the Scan Switch
- a) Click the probe option to begin the ultrasound examination, scanning to discover the bladder
- b) Make certain the ultrasound examination bladder impression stands out as the largest and centered.
- c) Whenever you discover the perfect ultrasound examination bladder image, touch the probe option once again. The bladder scanner will begin calculating immediately.
- d) Whenever you hear a beeping noise, the computation is completed. As an end result, the urine volume is going to be shown.
7. Save, evaluate and print out the test outcomes.
8. Complete the exam. After you have finished the bladder scan, clean the ultrasound examination gel from the individual as well as the bladder scanning probe
Benefits
There are several benefits to performing a bladder ultrasound as opposed to a catheterization, which is normally seen as a more conventional means of assessing residual urine volume.
Catheterization does have some risks associated with it, while there are some pretty exceptional benefits to performing a bladder ultrasound.
- Some of the benefits include that the patient does not have to get naked, exposing her genitals, which dramatically reduces feelings of embarrassment during the medical procedure.
- It is also a much less painful way of conducting the assessment, which dramatically increases patient comfort throughout the process.
- Bladder ultrasounds are also easy to use for children.
- It is also a highly accurate and reliable methodology, although somewhat dependent on the skill of the bladder scanner's operator.
- Bladder scans are essential for patients with multiple sclerosis-they should be scanned at least once a year to assess their residual urine.
- Bladder scanning can also be an effective way of providing biofeedback- helping to train patients who have issues with urge incontinence.
- Bladder scanners have additional use to assess catheter issues- whether the catheter is blocked, how well the catheter is performing, as well as assessing the retention degree before catheterization.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking to purchase a bladder scanner, make sure you evaluate our comparison table above. In general nurses are the ones who most frequently perform bladder scans.
They should always have the employers approval before conducting a bladder scan and the employer should have a clear procedure and policy in place for supporting and training their nurses who are not yet familiar with how to perform this procedure.
