How to Take Care of a Catheter

A catheter is a tube that runs from your urethra to your bladder. It drains urine from the body if you are hospitalized or have a disease, infection or injury that prevents urine from draining normally. The end of the catheter is attached to a bag that collects the urine. Proper home care of the catheter is needed to prevent bladder and kidney infections. You should clean the area at least one time per day and always after a bowel movement.

Things You'll Need

• Soap
• Washcloth
• Towel
• Cotton underwear

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Instructions

• 1

  Wash your hands with hot water and soap before touching the catheter. Dry your hands with the towel.

• 2

  Dampen a washcloth with warm water and soap to clean the skin around the catheter. Wash away from the opening to prevent bacteria and other germs from entering the body.

• 3

  Wash away any dried blood or urine from around the catheter. Hold the catheter up gently while cleaning but do not pull on it. Tugging on the catheter can cause bleeding inside the urethra.

• 4

  Wash the skin around the anus last. Do not use the washcloth or towel near the catheter again after washing the anus since this is a major source of germs and bacteria.

• 5

  Secure the catheter and urine bag once the area around the skin is clean. Tape the catheter to your leg to prevent pulling.

• 6

  Verify that there are no kinks in your catheter so the urine flows properly into the urine bag. Kinks may cause the urine to back up in the bladder and urethra and lead to infection.