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The color purple: Purple urine bag syndrome: Identifying the phenomenon to ease unnecessary anxiety, fear, and distress

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 July 2023

Miguel Julião Open the ORCID record for Miguel Julião [Opens in a new window]  and
Mário Cruz
Miguel Julião*
Affiliation:
Equipa Comunitária de Suporte em Cuidados Paliativos de Sintra, Sintra, Portugal Inválidos do Comércio IPSS, Lisboa, Portugal
Mário Cruz
Affiliation:
Inválidos do Comércio IPSS, Lisboa, Portugal Escola de Psicologia e Ciências da Vida, Universidade Lusófona, Lisboa, Portugal USF Tapada, ACeS Sintra, Sintra, Portugal
*
Corresponding author: Miguel Julião; Email: migueljuliao@gmail.com
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Abstract

Objectives

Purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS) is a condition that causes an intense purple discoloration of the urine, predominately in frail, dependent, and bedridden persons who are chronically catheterized and have urinary tract infections. Despite being considered a benign syndrome, PUBS can cause great anxiety, fear, and distress in health professionals, chronically ill persons, and caregivers or family members who provide care.

Methods

We report the case of a 98-year-old institutionalized woman with Alzheimer’s dementia with a long-term urinary catheter who developed PUBS.

Results

Although alarming and distressing for the resident and the health-care team, PUBS was resolved by treating the underlying urinary tract infection and applying good genital hygiene and catheter replacement.

Significance of results

Identifying PUBS and its clinical features and management proved to be significantly helpful in ameliorating the anxiety, fear, and distress around the phenomenon.

Keywords

Purple urine bag syndromeAlzheimer’s dementiaNursing homeChronic urinary catheterizationUrinary tract infectionConstipationDistressHealth-care professionalsResidentCaregivers
Type
Case Report
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , April 2024 , pp. 424 - 426
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press.

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