Prolonged Indwelling Percutaneous Nephrostomy Leading to Purple Urinary Bag Syndrome in Palliative Care Setting: A Case Report

Abstract

Purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS) is a complication and a rare phenomenon associated with bacterial colonisation in bladder catheters in which urine turns purple in the tubing and the catheter bag. This condition can be distressing and panicking for the patients and their families as well as the medical staff caring for them. It is an interesting and unusual presentation that affects people with long-term indwelling catheters and chronic constipation. We report one such case in our hospital, a 73-year-old woman with stage 4 cancer of the vaginal vault, post-bilateral percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) 4 months ago, currently on best supportive care, presented to the emergency room with symptoms of urosepsis, while a purple urine bag may appear innocuous and not need any particular care beyond replacing the catheter and giving the patient the proper antibiotics, it may indicate an occult urinary tract infection (UTI), which can have catastrophic effects in a patient using a urinary catheter for an extended period of time. Only a few examples of PUBS with an underlying nephrostomy have been documented in the literature. This is a case of a palliative care patient who had a poor prognosis despite receiving the right antibiotic treatment for an upper UTI that caused purple staining of the PCN catheter bag. Using this case report as a guide, we could manage a complex UTI in a palliative care context.