Urinary Catheter Care at Home and Removal

About this video

A step-by-step guide for patients going home with a urinary catheter. Dr. Alex Vanni explains how a catheter works, keeping it secured with slack and without pressure at the tip, using a leg bag and night bag, keeping the area clean, what is normal, activity limits, how to remove the catheter yourself when your care team tells you to, and when to call.

Key points

• Keep the catheter secured to your thigh, with some slack, and the bag below your bladder
• Make sure the catheter is never pulled tight or pressing on the tip of the penis
• Use a leg bag by day and a night bag while you sleep; empty the bag when about half full
• Wash where the catheter enters with soap and water and apply bacitracin three times a day
• Remove your catheter only when your care team tells you, by cutting the balloon port and letting the water drain
• Call if no urine drains for 2 hours, the catheter falls out, you have a fever, or you cannot urinate within 6 hours of removal

Chapters

1. 0:00Introduction
2. 0:23How Your Catheter Works
3. 0:48Caring for Your Catheter
4. 2:30Removing Your Catheter
5. 3:57When to Call