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Catheter Care.

You have been treated with a Catheter. You have been thoroughly examined and are now considered fit to be discharged. The following will aid your recovery.

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What is a catheter?

A catheter is a tube of silicone which has been inserted into the bladder. A small balloon at the tip of the catheter has been inflated with water. This sits at the opening of the bladder and prevents the catheter from falling out.

How does it work?

The main reason for having a catheter inserted is because you cannot pass water (urine). The urine in your bladder will flow into the catheter and will drain down the tube into the drainage bag connected to it.

How do I look after it?

There are a number of important things to remember when looking after your catheter at home:

Always remember to wash and dry your hands before and after touching your catheter.
Make sure that you wash the area around your catheter every day.
Do not put talcum powder around your catheter.
All these steps will help to prevent you developing a urine infection.

Night and day (leg) bags

Your nurse will have given you a number of drainage bags to take home with you.

The large bag with the long tubing is the night bag.

The small bag with the short tubing is the day (leg) bag.

The small bag is connected directly to the catheter and you should not need to disconnect this unless you are advised otherwise. This bag can be strapped to your leg and can be worn underneath trousers and skirts unnoticed.

At night, the tubing of the large bag is connected to the ‘see-through’ connector at the base of the day bag. You will not have to worry about getting up to empty the bag in the night as it holds much more urine than the day bag.

How do I empty the drainage bags?

At night, when you have connected the night bag to the day bag, open the taps of the day bag and make sure that the taps of the night bag are closed. This will enable the urine to flow straight through the day bag and into the night bag.

In the morning, close off the taps of the day bag and disconnect the night bag from the day bag. Empty the contents of the night bag into the toilet and rinse the bag through with tap water. Replace the blue cap and leave it to dry until required.

During the day, you will need to check your leg bag every 2–3 hours to prevent it from becoming too full. Always remember to close the taps when you empty the bag.

Will I be able to eat and drink normally?

Yes, you will. Make sure that you drink plenty of fluids (about 12–14 cups per day). This will help to keep your urine clear and prevent infection.

Try to eat plenty of fibre in your diet. This will help to prevent constipation which can sometimes lead to pressure on your catheter and prevent your catheter from draining. If you do have problems with constipation, consult your District Nurse or Family Doctor and ask for their advice.

What should I do if problems occur?

You may experience some of the following problems, here is what to do:

Soreness or inflammation. This is normal for a short period after having a catheter inserted. If, however, it becomes much worse or lasts for a long time, consult your District Nurse.
No urine flow. If you have not passed urine for 4–6 hours and/or you are beginning to experience pain similar to that of a full bladder, ring your District Nurse.
Blood clots in or around the catheter. Occasionally, you may see some small clots in the drainage bag. This is normal. However, if you start getting large clots and/or very blood stained urine and this is not normal for you, give your District Nurse a call.
Catheter falling out. This should not happen. If it does, don’t worry. If you have not passed urine after 3–4 hours, call your District Nurse.

Should any of the above problems occur, or if a different problem not mentioned occurs, your District Nurse will be able to advise you. If you are unable to contact your Nurse, ring your Family Doctor.

A Nurse at the Emergency department will arrange for a District Nurse to visit you to check that everything is alright with your catheter and answer any questions that you may have.

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