ICU nurses in China mostly agree on removing kidney catheters when they are no longer needed

Nurses in intensive care units across China face a tough choice. They must decide when to remove temporary tubes used for kidney dialysis. A recent survey of 704 nurses in 30 provinces looked at how they make these decisions. The results show a clear pattern in their daily work. Most nurses remove the catheter when it is no longer required for clinical treatment. This happens in about 58 percent of cases. However, the leading reason to keep the tube is a high risk of bleeding for the patient. This occurs in nearly 45 percent of situations. The team also found that doctors usually decide on removal and perform the procedure. About 66 percent of nurses said physicians handle both the decision and the action. Despite this, 89 percent of nurses support checking daily if the catheter is still needed. This daily check helps ensure the tube is not left in longer than necessary. The study notes that because it was exploratory, the team did not adjust for multiple comparisons. This means some numbers might vary if studied differently. Still, the findings highlight a need for standardized nursing protocols.