Indwelling catheter care

Foley catheter; Suprapubic tube

Description

You have an indwelling catheter (tube) in your bladder. "Indwelling" means inside your body. This catheter drains urine from your bladder into a bag outside your body. Common reasons to have an indwelling catheter are urinary incontinence (leakage), urinary retention (not being able to urinate), surgery that made this catheter necessary, or another health problem.

What to Expect at Home

You will need to make sure your indwelling catheter is working properly. You will also need to know how to clean the tube and the area where it attaches to your body so that you do not get an infection or skin irritation. Make catheter and skin care part of your daily routine. Ask your health care provider if you may take a shower with the catheter in place.

Avoid physical activity for a week or two after your catheter is placed in your bladder.

Cleaning Your Skin

You will need these supplies for cleaning your skin around your catheter and for cleaning your catheter:

  • Two clean washcloths
  • Two clean hand towels
  • Mild soap
  • Warm water
  • A clean container or sink

Follow these skin care guidelines once a day, every day, or more often if needed:

  • Wash your hands well with soap and water. Be sure to clean between your fingers and under your nails.
  • Wet one of the washcloths with warm water and soap it up.
  • Gently wash all around the area where the catheter goes in with the soapy washcloth. Females should wipe from front to back. Males should wipe from the tip of the penis downward.
  • Rinse the washcloth with water until the soap is gone.
  • Add more soap to the washcloth. Use it to gently wash your upper legs and buttocks.
  • Rinse off the soap and pat dry with a clean towel.
  • Do not use creams, powders, or sprays near this area.

Cleaning the Catheter

Follow these steps two times a day to keep your catheter clean and free of germs that can cause infection:

  • Wash your hands well with soap and water. Be sure to clean between your fingers and under your nails.
  • Change the warm water in your container if you are using a container and not a sink.
  • Wet the second washcloth with warm water and soap it up.
  • Gently hold the catheter and begin washing the end near your vagina or penis. Move slowly down the catheter (away from your body) to clean it. Never clean from the bottom of the catheter toward your body.
  • Gently dry the tubing with the second clean towel.

You will attach the catheter to your inner thigh with a special fastening device.

You may be given two bags. One bag attaches to your thigh for use during the day. The second one is larger and has a longer connection tube. This bag holds enough so you can use it overnight. You will be shown how to disconnect the bags from the Foley catheter in order to switch them. You will also be taught how to empty the bags through a separate valve without needing to disconnect the bag from the Foley catheter.

Making Sure Your Catheter is Working

You will need to check your catheter and bag throughout the day.

  • Always keep your bag below your waist.
  • Try not to disconnect the catheter more than you need to. Keeping it connected to the bag will make it work better.
  • Check for kinks, and move the tubing around if it is not draining.
  • Drink plenty of water during the day to keep urine flowing.

When to Call the Doctor

A urinary tract infection is the most common problem for people with an indwelling urinary catheter.

Contact your provider if you have signs of an infection, such as:

  • Pain around your sides or lower back.
  • Urine smells bad, or it is cloudy or a different color.
  • Fever or chills.
  • A burning sensation or pain in your bladder or pelvis.
  • Discharge or drainage from around the catheter where it is inserted into your body.
  • You do not feel like yourself. Feeling tired, achy, and have a hard time focusing.

Also contact your provider if:

  • Your urine bag is filling up quickly, and you have an increase in urine.
  • Urine is leaking around the catheter.
  • You notice blood in your urine.
  • Your catheter seems blocked and not draining.
  • You notice grit or stones in your urine.
  • You have pain near the catheter.
  • You have any concerns about your catheter.

References

Davis JE, Silverman MA. Urologic procedures. In: Roberts JR, Custalow CB, Thomsen TW, eds. Roberts and Hedges' Clinical Procedures in Emergency Medicine and Acute Care. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 55.

Trautner BW, Hooton TM. Health care-associated urinary tract infections. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 302.

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Review Date: 1/1/2023

Reviewed By: Kelly L. Stratton, MD, FACS, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.


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