Which statement best describes the lumens of a 3-way catheter used for continuous bladder irrigation after TURP?

• A. Three lumens: one inflates the balloon, one inflows irrigation solution, one outflows irrigation solution
• B. Two lumens for urine drainage and one for irrigation
• C. Four lumens including a medication lumen
• D. A single lumen for urine drainage followed by external irrigation

Answer: (A)

Continuous bladder irrigation after TURP uses a three-lumen catheter to both secure the catheter and keep the bladder clear. One lumen inflates the balloon to hold the catheter in place. A second lumen delivers irrigation solution into the bladder to flush out blood and debris. A third lumen drains urine and the returning irrigation fluid out of the bladder. This setup maintains catheter patency and provides continuous irrigation to prevent obstruction from clots, which is essential after TURP. Other configurations that omit the balloon lumen or combine drainage and irrigation in ways that don’t allow separate inflow fail to meet the needs of secure placement and effective irrigation.