06015 Caring for your urinary catheter at home
Document Description: Information about care of a urinary (foley) catheter after discharge including infection prevention and prevention of urinary tract infections.
Caring for Your Urinary (Foley) Catheter at Home
You have had a Foley catheter (a thin, flexible tube) placed in your bladder to drain your urine. It’s held inside your bladder by a balloon filled with water.
You have two bags – a large “night” bag and smaller leg bag.
Taking care of your catheter
Gather these supplies:
- Mild soap and water
- Washcloth and towel
- Leg Strap or other device
You can shower but do not take a bath.
Use your large bag in the shower.
Follow these instructions to clean around the catheter:
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
- Using mild soap and water, clean your genital area.
- Men should retract the foreskin, if needed, and clean the area, including the penis.
- Women should separate the labia and clean the area from front to back.
- Clean your urethra (urinary opening) - where the catheter tubing enters your body.
- Clean the catheter tubing from where it enters your body and then down, away from your body. Do not pull.
- Rinse the area well and dry it gently.
- Use the device you were given to attach the tubing to your leg to keep it from moving.
Changing the drainage bag
You will change your bag twice a day.
- In the morning after you clean around the catheter, change the large bag to the leg bag.
- At night before you go to bed, change the leg bag to the large bag.
Gather these supplies:
- A clean washcloth (not one already used for bathing) or a 4”x 4” piece of gauze
- Clean large or leg bag (whichever one you are switching to)
- 2 alcohol pads
Follow these instructions to change the bag:
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water.
- Empty the urine from the bag into the toilet using the valve. The spout at the end of the tubing should never touch the toilet or container.
- Place the clean cloth or gauze under the connector to catch any leakage.
- Pinch off the tubing with your fingers and disconnect the used bag.
- Wipe the end of the tubing with an alcohol pad.
- Wipe the connector on the new bag with the second alcohol pad.
- Connect the clean bag to the tubing and release your finger pinch.
- Check all connections. Straighten any kinks or twists in the tubing.
Caring for the Drainage Bags
- Always wear the leg bag below your knee or the large bag below the level of your bladder. This will help it drain.
- Keep the bag secure. Do not pull on the tube. Keep the bag off the floor.
- Empty the bag when it is just over half full. Measure the amount of urine and write it down (if advised to do so by your provider).
- Don’t lie down for longer than 2 hours while you are wearing the leg bag.
- There is no need to clean the bag.
- Change to a new bag every month or if there is a leak.
Preventing Urinary Tract Infection
- Clean your hands before and after touching the tubing or bag.
- Clean the catheter area daily. Clean the bags and tubing regularly.
- Always keep the bag below the level of your bladder and off the floor.
- Keep the catheter secured to your thigh to prevent it from moving.
- Don’t lie on your catheter or block the flow of urine in the tubing.
- Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of liquid every day (unless told something else by your doctor).
Call Your Doctor right away if:
- Your catheter comes out; do not try to replace it yourself
- You have a temperature of 101° F (38.3° C) or higher
- You are making less urine than usual
- You have foul-smelling urine.
- You have itching, rash or burning where the tubing leaves the body.
- You have bright red blood or large blood clots in your urine
- You have abdominal (belly) pain and no urine in your catheter bag