Catheter :HOW TO CARE FOR A CATHETER

HOW TO CARE FOR A CATHETER

To care for an indwelling catheter, clean the area where the catheter exits your body and the catheter itself with soap and water every day. Also clean the area after every bowel movement to prevent infection.

If you have a suprapubic catheter, clean the opening in your belly and the tube with soap and water every day. Then cover it with dry gauze.

Drink plenty of fluids to help prevent infections. Ask your provider how much you should drink.

Wash your hands before and after handling the drainage device. DO NOT allow the outlet valve to touch anything. If the outlet gets dirty, clean it with soap and water.

Sometimes urine can leak around the catheter. This may be caused by:

Catheter that is blocked or that has a kink in it
Catheter that is too small
Bladder spasms
Constipation
The wrong balloon size
Urinary tract infections
POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS

Complications of catheter use include:

Allergy or sensitivity to latex
Bladder stones
Blood infections (septicemia)
Blood in the urine (hematuria)
Kidney damage (usually only with long-term, indwelling catheter use)
Urethral injury
Urinary tract or kidney infections
Bladder cancer (only after long-term indwelling catheter)
Call your provider if you have:

Bladder spasms that do not go away
Bleeding into or around the catheter
Fever or chills
Large amounts of urine leaking around the catheter
Skin sores around a suprapubic catheter
Stones or sediment in the urinary catheter or drainage bag
Swelling of the urethra around the catheter
Urine with a strong smell, or that is thick or cloudy
Very little or no urine draining from the catheter and you are drinking enough fluids
If the catheter becomes clogged, painful, or infected, it will need to be replaced right away.

Source:
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