	What is a catheter? A catheter is a thin tube we put into your bladder to drain urine (wee)
	The wee leaves your bladder and collects in a bag attached to your leg or around your waist
	Living with a catheter Having a catheter means a big change to your life
	Taking care of your catheter will help you stay as healthy as possible
	The main risk of having a catheter is getting a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) A UTI is serious and can be life threatening
	This page tells you how to lower the risk of getting a UTI
	Why you may need a catheter
	You may need a catheter If your urethra is blocked – this is the tube that carries urine (wee) out of your body
	to allow you to wee if you have bladder weakness or nerve damage
	to drain your bladder before, during or after some types of surgery
There are 2 sorts of catheter
	1 Urethral catheter A catheter is a tube that goes into your urethra – the tube that takes wee out of your body
	The catheter tip is put into your bladder, and a small balloon is filled with water to keep it in place
	2 Supra-pubic catheter The catheter is put in through a small cut we make in your stomach
	We do this in hospital during a short operation using anaesthetic – this means you will be asleep and will not feel any pain
	Looking after your catheter
	Washing your hands with soap and water before and after touching your catheter – use the hand washing method in 'How to wash your hands' on this page.
	Have a shower or bath every day - a shower is better Do this with your leg bag or valve attached
	Wash the skin around where the catheter enters your body every day and every time you use the toilet
	Use unperfumed or mild soap and water
	Keep a clean flannel to use just for this job
	Wash the catheter tube - hold it away from your body
	Do not use talcum powder
	If you have a urethral catheter If you are a male and you haven't been circumcised, wash under your foreskin and pull the foreskin back down afterwards
	If you are a female, wash from from to back so you don't carry poo from your bottom to your catheter
	If you have a suprapubic catheter You may get a little bit of discharge around the catheter area – if this happens contact your nurse who will tell you the best way to treat it
	Wear loose, comfortable clothing – tight clothing can cut off the floe of wee and may irritate your skin
	How to wash your hands You must was your hands before and after touching your catheter or any of its parts – you must do this every time
	1 Wash your hands from palm to palm
	2 Right palm over back
	3 Palm to palm, fingers interlaced
	4 Backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers locked
	5 Rub your right thumb in circles, clasped in your left palm, then do the same the other side
	Keeping your catheter in place
	We will give you a special piece of equipment to stop your catheter tube moving around - we will show you how to use it
	Wearing a leg bag Your catheter bag should always be below your bladder unless you are using a belly bag
	Straps or a special holster will hold the bag
	The size of the bag and length of the tube depends on where you wear it
	If you wear trousers or a long tube bag may be better so you can roll up the bottom of the trouser leg and empty urine through the tap at the bottom of the bag
	Shorter tubes and bags may be better for skirts, shorts and dresses
	If you are male, move the position of the leg bag around to stop your penis getting damaged from the catheter rubbing in one place
	Caring for your leg back Wash your hands before and after touching your catheter
	Empty your leg bag when it is 2 thirds full, into the toilet or a special container you keep for taking it into the toilet
	To help stop infection, only remove the leg bag when you are changing it with a new one
	How to change your leg bag Change your leg bag every week
	try to change your bag on the same day of the week
	empty the bag you are using before changing to your new one
	wash your hands before and after touching your catheter
	open the new leg bag - do not take the protective cap off
	carefully take off the leg bag you are using - don't pull too hard point the end of the catheter upwards as you take off the leg bag
	put the old leg bag into a plastic bag ready for throwing away
	carefully take off the protective cap from the new bag
	do not touch the nozzle once you have taken off the protective cap
	gently put in the new leg bag connector to the catheter – be careful not touch the nozzle
	Using a valve instead of a drainage bag
	A valve may not be the right thing for certain conditions – your health care team will advise you
	If you have a valve attached to your catheter you should open the valve to empty your bladder every 3 to 4 hours during the day
	Do this when you feel your bladder is full and before you have poo
	To help stop infection, only take the valve off weekly when you are replacing it with a new one - make sure you wash your hands before and after
	Using a night bag night bags let wee drain easily while you are in bed
	attach a night bag to the leg bag or valve open the tap from your leg bag
	open the tap from your leg bag in the morning, close the leg bag or valve
	empty the wee into the toilet
	unless your night bag is reusable, place the empty night bag into a plastic bag ready for throwing away
	Sex
	You can still have sex if you have a catheter
	Before having sex wash your hands before touching your catheter
	empty your catheter bag
	wash your hands after touching your catheter bag
	If you feel any pain or discomfort during sex, you should stop
	If you are male when your penis is erect fold back your catheter along the length of the penis, leaving a loop - this will stop the catheter pulling
	use a condom to help secure your catheter
	if you need a lubricant, use a water-based gel
	If you are female tape your catheter out of the way
	after sex, clean yourself with warm water and unperfumed soap
	if you need a lubricant use a water-based gel
	Keeping your bladder and bowel healthy There is a lot you can do to keep your bladder and bowel healthy
	avoid getting constipated by drinking 1 to 2 litres (6 to 8 mugs or cups) of fluids, every 24 hours
	this keeps your poo soft
	limit the amount of alcohol and caffeine you drink as they can irritate your bladder
	there is caffeine in tea, coffee, cola, other fizzy drinks and drinking chocolate
	fibre helps prevent compilation - eat 5 portions of fruits and vegetables every day
	don't strain to open your bowels
	the colour of your wee may change - some foods and medications can make it change colour
	aim for light coloured wee
	If your wee is darker, you might not be drinking enough – drinking more fluids can help prevent infections
	Treating a UTI We will send a sample of your wee for testing
	We may give you antibiotics
	We will change your catheter
	You must take all the antibiotics you are given We only give you antibiotics when you really need them – this lowers the risk of them not working for you if you really need them in the future