Caring for Your Foley Catheter at Home Male

Table of Content

• Partner with us to treat your patient’s cancer.
• To empty a drainage bag, follow these steps:
• Does the catheter still need to stay in?
• Self catheterization - male
• How to Use a Straight Catheter for Self-Catheterization (Male): Care Instructions
• Related Articles You May Find Helpful:
• Can the patient manage their own catheter?
• LinkOut - more resources

Catheters work via gravity - urine cannot drain "uphill." If the patient is male, hold the penis and insert the catheter into the urethral opening. Hold the penis in your non-dominant hand and gently pull upward, perpendicular to the patient's body. Insert the tip of the catheter into the patient's urethra with your dominant hand. The patient's legs should be spread and their feet should be together. Lying in a supine position relaxes the bladder and urethra, facilitating easier catheter insertion.

Place the bath towel or the waterproof pad underneath your penis once you are seated. You should have easy access to your penis with your hands. It is important to have clean hands before you put your gloves on, as handling the gloves with dirty hands will result in unsterile gloves. You will also need a thick bath towel to place underneath you to catch any urine or water during the insertion. If you have access to a waterproof pad that you can sit on, this will work as well.

Partner with us to treat your patient’s cancer.

Remove the drain tube from the cover/holder on the bottom of the bag. Use a container that displays measurement markings if you’re supposed to keep track of how much urine you put out. The day will surely come when I need catheterizing in an emergency, but if I can learn to do it myself, this won't happen.

You could then point the end of the catheter into the toilet so it drains into the toilet directly. Urinary retention already places individuals at risk for UTI and then shoving a non sterile instrument up the urethra practically ensures a UTI will occur. You will need a container or a urine bag ready to collect the urine once it comes out of the catheter.

To empty a drainage bag, follow these steps:

His practice has been named a Center of Excellence for the UroLift procedure, and is a pioneer in non-surgical procedures for ED using his patented Wave Therapy. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Georgetown University and was awarded honors in pre-medical studies, urology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology. Some catheters come in a kit, with the catheter and antiseptic solution that you can pour on the catheter to sterilize it.

Catheters are typically a flexible tube that is inserted into the urethra, where it helps to remove urine from the bladder. A properly-sterilized catheter can help to remove the risk of infection-causing bacteria from the urethra, which could lead to the development of urinary tract infections. Some urinary catheters are left in the bladder for as long as needed. But an intermittent, or straight, urinary catheter is taken out right after it is used. Straight catheters come in different lengths and types.

Does the catheter still need to stay in?

Depending on your doctor’s recommendations, you may need to use the catheter at least four times a day to ensure you are urinating regularly. Once you are done, rinse and dry your penis well. Then, place the container you are using to collect the urine next to your thigh so it is easy to access. You will need to sit down with your legs bent.

A tense urethra compresses the catheter, which results in resistance during insertion, causing pain and sometimes even damage to the underlying tissue of the urethra. In severe cases, this may cause bleeding.Assist the patient in getting into the supine position if necessary. O'Donohue et al found that almost one-third (32%) of patients complained of pain from their catheter more than once. Unfortunately, pain from catheters can be caused by several different factors, and different methods are needed to manage these factors. If there is any concern about how to manage a patient's catheter pain, the district nursing team's local bladder and bowel service should be contacted for advice and support. Because of the risk of contamination of the catheter bag, when it is emptied, it should be done as a clean procedure.

If you are reusing your catheter, you must clean it every day. Always make sure you are in a clean bathroom. Do not let the catheter touch any of the bathroom surfaces; not the toilet, wall, or floor. Wash the end of your penis with a clean cloth or baby wipe. Make sure the foreskin is back in place if you are uncircumcised. Once the catheter is in, urine will start to flow.

Avoid constipation as this can prevent the catheter draining properly or cause leakage of urine around the catheter. Ensure you have plenty of fibre in your diet, i.e. brown bread, fruit and vegetables. Drink plenty of fluids and if you are able, take plenty of exercise. Speak to your nurse or doctor if you are prone to constipation for necessary advice. Women should empty their catheter drainage bag.

Your doctor or nurse will let you know what type you will need and where to get supplies. If the urine flow down the catheter is restricted or even stopped, then it can lead to the catheter becoming blocked . Therefore, catheter bags should always be positioned below the bladder to aid drainage ; they should never be placed on the floor, and instead a suitable stand should be used . The tubing should not become kinked or twisted, and patients should not sit on their catheter tubing, and it should not be wrapped underneath their leg.

You may find it useful to get more information and advice from support groups and other organisations. Indwelling catheters can be more problematic, but it's still usually possible to have sex with them in place. For example, men can fold the catheter along the base of their penis and cover them both with a condom. The charity Bladder and Bowel Community has more information on indwelling catheters. Leg bags and valves should be changed every 7 days. The bag can be attached to your right or left leg, depending on which side is most comfortable for you.

The parts of the catheter outside your body are shown in Figure 1. Purchase enough catheters to use one each time. Most catheters are single use because they need to be sterile. They will come in individual packages, making it easy for you to use them and then throw them away.Some catheters can be cleaned with soap and water.

Collect your supplies, including your catheter , a towelette or other cleaning wipe, lubricant, and a container to collect the urine if you are not planning to sit on the toilet. Sometimes family members or other people you know such as a friend who is a nurse or medical assistant may be able to help you use your catheter. When the bag is empty, close the clamp on the drain tube. Use a clean paper towel or tissue to dry the end of the drain tube.

You should follow the procedures on the kit to make sure the catheter is sterile before you use it. Check the expiration date of kits when they arrive to make sure they are still useable. Wash your hands with soap and water and dry well. Having a catheter should not prevent you carrying out your normal activities. If you are going on holiday and you have a permanent catheter bag speak to your nurse, because a catheter valve, may be appropriate for a short term solution.

If you have questions about your care, contact your healthcare provider. Keep your drainage bag off the floor at all times. Empty the urine from the drainage bag into the toilet.