Indwelling urine catheter Home care (1283)

What do I need to know at home?

• Your child should not take a bath or a shower until the doctor says it is okay.   Have your child wash at the sink with soap and water until then.  
• Do not let your child do activities that may hurt the catheter or surgery site.  Your child should not climb on playground equipment, wrestle or play rough.
• Have your child drink at least _______ cups of fluid every day.  Water is the best fluid for your child to drink.

How do I care for the catheter?

• Look at the catheter tube several times a day to see if it is kinked or twisted.  
  - If kinked, carefully straighten the tube and re-tape it.
  - If twisted, you may have to disconnect the tube from the drainage bag.  Untwist the tube.  Wipe both connections with alcohol.  Reconnect the tube to the drainage bag.
• Keep the catheter tubing loose enough that is does not pull or damage the insertion site.  If your child is active, the tube may start to pull at the insertion site.  Re-tape the tube.  Be sure there is enough slack between the insertion site and the taped area so your child can move more freely.
• If the catheter does not seem to be draining as much as normal, or not at all:
  - Check the tubing to see if it is kinked.
  - Irrigate the catheter if your doctor or nurse has shown you how.
  - Have your child drink more fluids.
• If the catheter empties into a bag, empty the bag before it gets 2/3 full.

For an infant or young child

• If using a double diaper, the nurse will show you how to change it.  Make sure the catheter is:
  - Put inside of the outer diaper.  
  - Not kinked or pulled too tight under the diaper.        
• Change the inner diaper if it is dirty or wet.