7 tips to care for a bladder catheter

• April 20, 2024

The bladder probes or urinary are used to drain the bladder and a doctor can recommend its use in case of urinary incontinence (escape or inability to control the to pee ), urinary retention (be unable to empty the bladder when needed); surgery in prostate or the genitals , or other medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis , injury of spinal cord or dementia .

A urinary catheter permanent is one that is placed in the bladder and can be used only for a short time or for a long time, so it is fixed to a drainage bag to collect the urine . A newer type of probe has a valve that can be opened to let the urine out.

However, sometimes, there may be an escape from urine around of the urinary catheter , which can be caused because it is clogged or has a kink, is too small, bladder spasms , constipation, inadequate balloon size or Urinary infections.

The complications of using a urinary catheter encompass allergy or latex sensitivity, calculations kidney , infections of the blood (septicemia ), blood in the urine (hematuria ), damage or kidney infection , and even, urethral injury .

Tips for good maintenance of the bladder catheter

1. Drink at least 1.5 to 2 liters of fluid per day to cause abundant urine and prevent waste from forming in the bladder and the probe is plugged.
2. Wash hands with soap and water to manipulate the probe or bag .
3. Wash the penis or genital area every day so that it does not smear around the skin. probe , avoiding infections.
4. Make sure that the bag is well connected to the probe to avoid losses of urine .
5. Monitor that the tube of the probe or bag is not bent, so that the passage of urine .
6. At night, have it connected to the bag to not get up and that the bladder It empties well.
7. The bag drainage should always remain at a lower level than the bladder to prevent a back flow urinary to the bladder . The drainage device should be emptied at least every 8 hours or when full.

Most experts are against the routine change of catheters , except that the catheter is clogged, painful or infected. These recommendations can avoid infections important and probe It can last longer without the need to change it.

Video Medicine: Urinary Catheter Care | UCLA Urology (April 2024).