Catheter care

1. Catheter Care
Deleveloped by
Practice Development Facilitators’s

2. What is a urinary catheter
• A specially designed tube into the bladder to
drain urine

3. Considerations
• Indwelling catheters are one of the main
source of infection in the hospital setting
• They affect the patient because of body
image, mobility, pain and discomfort

4. Urinary catheters

5. Urinary catheters
• All catheter care including Catheter insertion is
carried out using an Aseptic Non Touch Technique
(ANTT)
• They can be urethral or supra pubic

6. Drainage Bags
• The drainage bag is selected depending on the
reasons for catheter and patient choice

7. Managing a urinary catheter system
• The catheter and drainage bag should be adequately
fixed to prevent trauma
• A ‘closed’ drainage system is essential to
prevent infection
• A disposable overnight drainage bag should be
added for patients with leg worn bags (Tandem
system)
• Bags should be changed inline with manufactures
recommendations (usually weekly) using ANTT
principles

8. The catheter and drainage bag
should be adequately fixed to
prevent trauma

9. Complications if not secured
properly

10. Closed drainage system
• The bag should only be disconnected for connection
of a new bag
• At night a tandem system must be used (leg bag)
• When opening or manipulating the system a rigorous
ANTT is essential.
• The tip of the new drainage tube should not be
touched before pushing into the catheter

11. Catheter associated complications
• CA-UTI - can be introduced because of faulty
handling of equipment, breaking the closed
system, or raising the drainage bag above
bladder level – (fluids)
• Symptoms: loin pain, flank tenderness, sp
discomfort, nausea, vomiting, confusion
• Other complications:
• Leakage/bleeding/blockages

12. To prevent infection
• The drainage bag and tube should always be
positioned below the level of the bladder
• There should be no kinks or occlusions in the
tubing
• The bag must be kept off of the floor
• The separate single use clean container be has
to be used and the drainage valve must not
touch the container on emptying the bag

13. Cont..
• Empty the bag when 2/3 full
• The tubing should be the correct length to
prevent kinking or pressure on the bladder

14. Catheter specimen collection

15. The catheter tubing must not be
kinked or pass under pressure
areas

16. Personal Hygiene
• Routine personal hygiene is all that is needed
to maintain cleanliness
• i.e daily bath or shower.
• For patients who are unable to bath or shower
daily, staff should wash the urethral opening
at least twice daily with soap and water and
following bowel movement

17. Cont..
• Hand washing and wearing non-sterile gloves
before and after performing catheter care is
always essential by nurses/carers

18. Thank you
For listening