What best confirms proper catheter tip position post placement?

• A. Urine analysis
• B. Echocardiography
• C. Clinical exam and postoperative imaging (radiographs) to confirm the catheter tip location and function
• D. Blood pressure measurement

Answer: (C)

After placing a PD catheter, confirming that the tip is in the proper intraperitoneal position and that the catheter is functioning is essential. The best way to do this is a combination of a careful clinical exam and postoperative imaging. Clinically, you assess the catheter’s patency and function by flushing and attempting gentle drainage, and you look for signs of leakage at the exit site or abdominal discomfort, which could indicate misplacement or malfunction. Imaging, typically a postoperative radiograph of the abdomen, shows the path of the catheter and the exact location of the tip within the pelvis. This helps detect malposition, looping, or kinking that could impair drainage or inflow and may prompt early adjustment or repositioning.

Urine analysis wouldn’t provide information about the catheter’s position or function. Echocardiography evaluates heart structures, not catheter placement. Blood pressure measurement is unrelated to confirming catheter tip position or function.