What Causes Persistent Bleeding On All 4 Days Since A Catheter Was Inserted?

Posted on Sat, 21 Jul 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 21 Jul 2018 Answered on

Thu, 3 Mar 2022 Last reviewed on

Question : I had a catheter inserted 4 days ago and am still discharging significant amounts of blood...is this normal. My bladder was not emptying (only 10%) even though I had no discomfort. It is Saturday so I can't reach my urologist

Answered by Dr. Anders Mark Christensen (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Are you feeling ill?

Detailed Answer:

Hi,

To ascertain if you have lost a lot of blood, it is important to know if you experience any dizziness, thirst, if you are pale or have a low blood pressure? If you take any anticoagulants, you should pause them now.
Bloody urine can look extreme without it necessarily being serious.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Anders Mark Christensen (23 hours later)

My question was is it normal to have blood discharging four days after the insertion of a catheter? It is better today and is beginning to look like XXXXXXX urine in the XXXXXXX bag but still with blood.

Answered by Dr. Anders Mark Christensen (28 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
It is not uncommon.

Detailed Answer:
Hi again,

It is not uncommon. The most important thing is the quantity of blood, which obviously is difficult to ascertain at home, hence the symptoms of anemia. If there seems to be less and less blood in your urine, that is fine and you should not worry.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad