Foley tube: About Your Urinary (Foley) Catheter: How To Clean and Care for It

28.04.202126.07.2023 by alexxlab

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About Your Urinary (Foley) Catheter: How To Clean and Care for It

This information will help you care for your urinary (Foley) catheter.

About your urinary (Foley) catheter

Your Foley catheter is a thin, flexible tube placed through your urethra (the small tube that carries urine from your bladder to outside your body) and into your bladder. Your Foley catheter drains your urine (pee). It’s held inside your bladder by a balloon filled with water.

How your Foley catheter works

Your urine goes from your bladder and through a drainage tube into a drainage collection bag. The drainage bag stays on your leg with a special tape called Cath-Secure^®.

You will have 2 types of drainage bags:

A leg bag. This is the bag that you wear during the day. It holds half a liter of urine.
A night bag. This is the bag you will put on at night before you go to bed. It holds 2 liters of urine.

The parts of the catheter that are outside your body are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. The parts of your Foley catheter and drainage bag

How to take care of your Foley catheter

To take care of your Foley catheter, you will need to:

Clean your catheter every day.
Change your drainage bags. You will change your drainage bag 2 times a day:
- In the morning, change the night bag to the leg bag.
- At night before you go to bed, change the leg bag to the night bag.
Replace your drainage bags with new bags once a week. You should also change your drainage bag if it gets clogged or blocked.
Wash your drainage bags every day.
Drink 1 to 2 glasses of liquids every 2 hours while you’re awake to keep you hydrated.

You may see some blood or urine around where the catheter enters your body. This may happen when you’re walking or having a bowel movement (pooping). This is normal if there’s urine draining into the drainage bag. If you do not have urine draining into the drainage bag, call your healthcare provider.

How to comfortably wear your Foley catheter and leg bag

The tubing from your leg bag should fit down to your calf with your leg slightly bent. If you have extra tubing, you may need to cut it. Your healthcare provider will show you how to do this.
Always wear the leg bag below your knee. This will help it drain.
Place the leg bag on your calf using the Velcro® straps your healthcare provider gave you. Use a leg strap to secure the tubing to your thigh.
If the straps leave a mark on your leg, they are too tight. Loosen them. Leaving the straps too tight can lower your blood flow and cause blood clots.
Use a water-based lubricant (such as Astroglide® or K-Y®) to keep your penis or vagina opening from getting sore.
Keep your penis or vagina opening clean by taking a shower every day. This will help prevent infections when your Foley catheter is in place.

How to shower with your Foley catheter

You can shower while you have your catheter in place.
Do not take a bath until your catheter is removed. Taking a bath while you have your catheter in place puts you at risk for infections.
Make sure you always shower with your night bag. Your night bag is waterproof. Do not shower with your leg bag. Your leg bag has cloth on the side and will not dry as fast.
- You may find it easier to shower in the morning before you change your night bag to your leg bag.

How to clean your Foley catheter

You can clean your catheter while you’re in the shower. Follow these instructions.

Gather your supplies. You will need:
- Mild soap, such as Dove®.
- 1 Cath-Secure®.
Clean your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- If you’re washing your hands with soap and water, wet your hands and apply soap. Rub your hands together well for at least 20 seconds, then rinse. Dry your hands with a paper towel. Use that same towel to turn off the faucet.
- If you’re using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, cover your hands with it. Rub them together until they’re dry.
Using mild soap and water, clean your penis or vagina.
- If you have a penis, pull back your foreskin (the skin around the tip of your penis), if needed. Clean the area, including your penis.
- If you have a vagina, separate your labia (the smaller folds of skin around your vaginal opening). Clean the area from front to back.
Clean the area where the catheter enters your body. This is called your urethra.
Clean the catheter from where it enters your body and then down, away from your body. Hold the catheter at the point it enters your body so that you do not put tension on it.
Rinse the area well and dry it gently.
If you removed your old Cath-Secure, attach the catheter to your leg with a new Cath-Secure. This will keep the catheter from moving.

When to change your drainage bags

You will change your drainage bag 2 times a day. Change it:

In the morning after you shower, change the night bag to the leg bag.
At night before you go to bed, change the leg bag to the night bag.

Replace your drainage bags with new bags once a week. You should also change your drainage bag if it gets clogged or blocked.

How to change your drainage bag

This video demonstrates how to change your urinary (Foley) catheter drainage bag.

Video Details

Gather your supplies. You will need:
- A clean cloth (not one you’re using for bathing) or a 4 x 4 piece of gauze.
- Your night or leg bag (whichever one you are switching to).
- 2 alcohol pads.
Clean your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- If you’re washing your hands with soap and water, wet your hands and apply soap. Rub your hands together well for at least 20 seconds, then rinse. Dry your hands with a paper towel. Use that same towel to turn off the faucet.
- If you’re using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, cover your hands with it. Rub them together until they’re dry.
Empty the urine from the drainage bag into the toilet. Make sure the spout of the drainage bag never touches the side of the toilet or any emptying container. If it does, wipe it with an alcohol pad for 15 seconds.
Place the clean cloth or gauze under the connector to catch any leakage.
Pinch the catheter with your fingers and disconnect the used bag.
Wipe the end of the catheter with an alcohol pad.
Wipe the connector on the new bag with the second alcohol pad.
Connect the clean bag to the catheter and release your finger pinch. Make sure the catheter is tightly connected to the bag to keep it from opening or leaking.
Check all connections. Straighten any kinks or twists in the tubing.

How to take care of your drainage bags

Caring for your leg drainage bag

Empty the leg bag into the toilet every 2 to 4 hours, as needed. You can do this through the spout at the bottom of the bag. Do not let the bag get completely full.
Do not lie down for longer than 2 hours while you’re wearing the leg bag. This can keep your urine from draining the way it should.

Caring for your night drainage bag

Always keep the night bag below the level of your bladder.
When you go to sleep, hang your night bag off the bed. You can do this by using a small trash can. Place a clean plastic bag inside the trash can. Hang your night bag inside of the trash can.

Cleaning your drainage bags

Clean your leg bag and night bag every day. Follow these instructions.

Gather your supplies. You will need:
- White vinegar.
- Cool water.
Clean your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- If you’re washing your hands with soap and water, wet your hands and apply soap. Rub your hands together well for at least 20 seconds, then rinse. Dry your hands with a paper towel. Use that same towel to turn off the faucet.
- If you’re using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, cover your hands with it. Rub them together until they’re dry.
Rinse the bag with cool water. Do not use hot water because it can damage the plastic.
To help get rid of the smell, fill the bag halfway with a mixture of 1part white vinegar and 3 parts water. Shake the bag and let it sit for 15 minutes.
- If you cannot get the mixture into the bag, try putting the vinegar and water into a measuring cup with a pour spout. Then use the spout to help pour the mixture into the bag.
Rinse the bag with cool water. Hang it up to dry.

How to prevent Foley catheter infections

Follow these guidelines to prevent getting infections while you have your catheter in place:

Keep the drainage bag below the level of your bladder.
Always keep your drainage bag off the floor.
Keep the catheter secured to your thigh to keep it from moving.
Do not lie on your catheter or block the flow of urine in the tubing.
Take a shower every day to keep the catheter clean.
Wash your hands before and after touching the catheter or bag.

Common questions about caring for your Foley catheter

Can I place a Foley catheter myself?

No. Your catheter is placed by your healthcare provider.

How long can I wear my Foley catheter before it needs to be changed?

Your catheter should be replaced about once a month, if it stops working, or if you have an infection.

Can I poop when I have a Foley catheter?

Yes. Your catheter will not affect your pooping.

Can I get an erection with a Foley catheter?

Yes. You can get an erection with a catheter in place.

Can I drive with a Foley catheter?

You can drive with a catheter unless your healthcare provider gives you other instructions.

Can I exercise with a Foley catheter?

Ask your healthcare provider if you can exercise while you have a Foley catheter in place.

Can I swim with a Foley catheter?

No. You cannot swim with a catheter in place.

Can I fly on an airplane with a Foley catheter?

Yes. You can fly on an airplane with a catheter.

When to call your healthcare provider

Call your healthcare provider right away if:

Your catheter comes out. Do not try to put it back in yourself.
You have a fever of 101°F (38.3 °C) or higher.
You’re making less urine than usual.
You do not have urine draining into your drainage bag.
Your urine smells bad.
You have bright red blood or large blood clots in your urine.
You have abdominal (belly) pain and no urine in your catheter bag.

What’s a Foley catheter? | Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

A Foley catheter is a semi-flexible plastic tube. One end is inserted into the bladder and the other end is attached to a bag that collects urine. It is used when you cannot urinate normally. This may be due to:

Incontinence: You can’t control when you urinate.
Urinary retention: Your bladder becomes full of urine and you (may) feel a desperate, urgent need to urinate, but you can’t. This is a concern because if urine remains in your bladder, you can develop a urinary tract infection. And although the bladder walls are muscular and can stretch, if they remain expanded for too long, the muscles will no longer be able to relax and you will not be able to urinate at all. Without relief, urinary retention can even lead to a bladder rupture.
Urological or gynecological surgery that affects the bladder — for example, surgery involving the prostate, bladder, kidney or uterus.
Anesthesia and opioid (narcotic) medications: These drugs can affect the nerves and muscles that control the bladder and urination, causing urinary retention and the need for catheterization. This happens more often in elderly patients. If you have had this problem in the past and you are being scheduled for surgery, be sure to let your doctors know.
Medical conditions — for example, an enlarged prostate in men, a narrowing of the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body) and coma.
Injuries — for example, spinal cord injuries.
Input and output (I & O): Sometimes your clinical team needs to measure how much fluid you are taking in and how much fluid is going out. If you cannot use a commode with a collection/measuring device, collecting urine in a drainage bag provides an easy way to measure what is going out.

What to expect

People have mixed reactions to getting a urinary catheter. On one hand, while putting the catheter in place — or replacing it — may not be painful, it can be uncomfortable or embarrassing for some. On the other hand, urinary retention can be very painful, and inserting a catheter can provide great relief. If incontinence is the issue, a Foley can avoid problems that arise from having no control over your urination.

A Foley is considered a long-term or “indwelling” catheter because it can be left in place for a while. How long it will stay in place depends on your individual circumstances. Your physician will decide when to remove it or how often to change it. For example, if you are prone to catheter infections or blockages, it’s likely you’ll have the catheter replaced more frequently.

Catheters are among the most-used medical devices in hospitals. The most common complication with catheters is an infection called CAUTI (Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection). The risk of developing CAUTI increases the longer a catheter is in place. To lower this risk, most catheters in hospitalized patients remain in place for only two to four days. After surgery, the catheter is removed as soon as you can urinate on your own.

What you can do

If you’re in the hospital, your nurses will care for your Foley catheter. If it’s left in place when you go home, follow the discharge and catheter care instructions you were given.

To help prevent infections and irritation or damage to the urethra and bladder:

Wash your hands before and after handling any part of the Foley equipment.
Drink six to eight glasses of water a day, unless you are on a fluid-restriction diet. Your urine should be clear or pale yellow.
Clean the area where the catheter exits the body, and the catheter itself, with soap and water every day.
Do not pull on, clamp, puncture or cut the catheter.
While the catheter is in place, you may have bladder spasms, which can cause pain. Spasms are often set off by having a bowel movement. To help prevent spasms, use stool softeners to avoid constipation. Tell your doctor if you are having painful spasms. To lower risk of infection, clean the area well after having a bowel movement.
Tell your doctor if you have any signs of infection, such as a fever of 100.4° F (38° C) or if urine is not draining into your bag. Your discharge instructions will specify when you should call the clinic.
There are two types of collection bags — a large one that can be hung on a lower bedrail and a smaller one that can be strapped to your leg and hidden under clothing if you need to move around or go out. Both types of bags must be kept below the level of your bladder. This prevents urine from flowing back into the bladder and reduces the risk of infection. Empty the drainage bag when the bag is half full. DO NOT allow the urine to sit in the bag for more than three to four hours.

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How is a Foley catheter put in place?

1) After explaining the procedure to you, a nurse will use a catheter kit to place your Foley.

2) The area around the urinary opening is cleansed. (The nurse may use an anesthetic gel to reduce any discomfort.)

3) The tip of the catheter is lubricated and inserted. Take deep breaths and try to relax.

4) The tip of the catheter, which is inside the bladder, has a small balloon at the end so the catheter won’t fall out. Once the catheter is in place, the nurse will inflate the balloon through a special port. (The balloon will be deflated just before the catheter is removed.)

5) The catheter is then connected to the drainage bag.

Keeping the catheter working properly and preventing infection are the most important things you can do. Follow the instructions provided by your nurses to stay safe and recover as quickly as possible.

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Patient Education

How to choose a Foley catheter? Foley catheter and prostatic catheter are the main differences.

In today’s article we will tell you how to choose a Foley catheter, what you need to consider when buying, what types and structural features of urethral catheters, and how prostatic catheters differ from Foley catheters.

A Foley catheter or urethral catheter is a special medical device designed to drain urine from the bladder. To do this, it is introduced into the cavity of the bladder through natural ways – the urethra – and fixed with a balloon. Such a catheter is installed for a period of 1 to 90 days. Foley catheter is not uncommon in the Russian market. It can be ordered at a specialized company dealing with medical equipment and consumables, medical equipment stores, pharmacies, and some orthopedic salons. When buying a Foley catheter, do not forget to purchase a urinal – a special product that is attached to the Foley catheter, where urine enters after excretion from the body.

How to choose a Foley catheter?

To buy a Foley catheter, you need to clarify with your doctor the following parameters, knowledge of which will greatly facilitate your ordering a catheter:

Catheter size (diameter). The unit of measurement for the diameter of catheters is Sharière (Ch, Shr) or French (Fr). 1 Ch/Fr = 0.33 mm. The size of the catheter is chosen by the attending physician based on the patient’s condition, the time of installation, and the material of the catheter. As a rule, 6-10 Ch are children’s sizes, 14-16 Ch are more often for women, and 20-24 for men. Each case is unique, so never buy a Foley catheter without a doctor’s prescription. There are also various recommendations of professional urological associations – the Russian Society of Urology, the European Society of Urology – which detail the criteria for choosing a catheter diameter.

Diameter	Readings
6-8Ch	Child sizes
10Ch	Clear urine, no hematuria (presence of blood in the urine), mucus
12-14 Ch	Clear urine, without hematuria, mucus, “sand”
16Ch	Slightly turbid urine, may have mild hematuria with little or no clots, some mucus, tissue debris
18Ch	Severe hematuria, the presence of clots, a large amount of mucus, tissue debris, the presence of “sand” in the urine
20-24Ch	Severe hematuria, a large amount of mucus, blood clots, “sand”. Washing required.

If the catheter is often clogged, you can choose a larger size. It must be remembered that the larger the diameter of the catheter, the higher the risk of injury to the urethra.

Another characteristic of the product associated with the size of the Foley catheter is the color coding. This helps doctors and nurses in the operating room or treatment room quickly find the right catheter based on its color, and not on the labels on the packaging or on the catheter itself. The color coding may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but it is usually universal and helps doctors navigate the range of consumables more easily. In the picture above you will see a red connector – this is the part in the Foley catheters that is color-coded. We see the red connector and understand that this catheter is 18 Ch.

Foley catheter length. Foley catheters can be male or female. This is due to anatomical features – the urethral canal in men is longer than in women. The length of the female Foley catheter is about 25 cm, the male catheter is 40-42 cm. The female Foley catheter is not available in all medical equipment stores and pharmacies, and besides, it cannot be used in men, so women and men are prescribed universal catheters 40 cm long.

Size balloon. To fix the catheter in the bladder cavity, a balloon is used, located at the distal end of the catheter. Upon insertion, the balloon is deflated and does not protrude above the catheter surface. With the successful introduction of the catheter into the bladder, the balloon is “inflated” with saline to the desired volume. Thanks to a special valve in the connector, saline does not flow back. Foley catheters most often have a balloon volume of 30 ml, but there are models with a balloon of 15 or 50 ml. In children’s Foley catheters, the volume of the balloon is 1.5-5 ml. The balloon prevents the urethral catheter from “falling out” of the bladder.

Foley catheter tip straight or curved or Nelaton vs Tiemann. The tip of the Foley catheter (the part above the balloon) can be straight or curved. The straight form (classic version) is the most common model. Such a tip is also called the Nelaton catheter, after the urologist who first used a urethral catheter to divert urine. For complicated cases of insertion, for example, with prostatic hyperplasia, there is a coracoid curved tip – the Tiemann catheter. The tip itself in Tiemann or Nelaton catheters is closed with two side holes.

Foley catheter material. The material of the catheter directly affects the comfort of the patient, the frequency of replacement of the catheter and its operational characteristics. Today, Foley catheters are made from:

Silicone-coated latex (siliconized latex) is a cheap material, quite soft, porous. Unfortunately, many patients are allergic to latex, making long-term use impossible. To reduce the risk of allergies, as well as to improve performance, the latex catheter is coated with a micron layer of silicone. A latex Foley catheter is placed for up to 7 days.
Silicone is a fully biocompatible material that does not cause inflammation or allergic reactions. Silicone catheters are soft, with a thin wall. Silicone Foley catheters have a large internal lumen, which provides better urine diversion. They clog less and can be installed for up to 30 days. Children’s catheters are made of silicone. The special treatment of the silicone and the surface of the catheter allowed them to be installed for up to 90 days – for example, the X-Tra and Folisyl LT series from Coloplast.
“Silver” is an outdated type of catheter. Material: silicone with a layer of silver, so these catheters are often called “silver plated”. It was believed that silver catheters have antibacterial activity, however, studies have shown that the presence of a layer of silver does not significantly affect either the development of infection or the time of installation. Due to low profitability and lack of clear clinical efficacy, silver catheters are practically withdrawn from circulation. Instead, patients are advised to buy long-lasting silicone Foley catheters (with an insertion period of up to 90 days).

Number of strokes: 2 or 3? The most problematic issue. Unfortunately, due to errors in terminology, doctors, patients, and pharmacy staff often confuse three-way Foley catheters with prostatic catheters (TURP catheters, hemostatic catheters). The classic Foley catheter has 2 passages, that is, 2 channels, one of which is used for urine diversion, and the second for balloon inflation. In some cases, a third channel / passage is required – for washing and introducing medicinal substances into the bladder cavity.

However, there are prostatic or three-way catheters. Prostatic catheters are used exclusively in men after prostate surgery – resection of the prostate. Do not confuse them with Foley catheters. Despite the similar structure and function, both of these catheters differ. These differences are:

Balloon volume: for prostatic catheters, the balloon has a volume of 50-120 ml to effectively prevent bleeding after prostate surgery (for Foley catheters it is 15-30 ml).
Tip structure: prostatic catheters are divided into types Dufo, Delinot, Kuveler and others. The curved Dufour and straight Kuveler tips also have a large drainage hole for successful drainage of urine, blood clots, pieces of tissue and mucus. Below is a typical three-way Dufour catheter.

Diameter: prostatic catheters size 18 to 24 Ch/Fr. Foley catheters have a much wider size range – from 6 to 30 Ch.
Number of channels: prostatic catheters are usually always three-way.

Attention! This article is not a call for self-treatment! Be sure to consult with your doctor! Never insert and remove urethral catheters yourself!

Bottom line: any patient may be faced with the need to purchase Foley catheters. When choosing a catheter, it is important to know its dimensions, which are measured in Charrière / French, balloon volume, number of strokes. When buying, check all the data, be sure to check the expiration date of the medical product, the presence of the Registration Certificate and the Declaration and compliance, the availability of instructions. If you find it difficult to choose, then we recommend you the following positions:

Classic 100% silicone Foley catheter: 30 ml balloon volume, sizes 14-24 Ch/Fr, for up to 30 days of placement.
100% Silicone Dufour Prostatic Three-Way Catheter: 50 ml balloon volume, sizes 18-24 Ch/Fr, for up to 30 days of placement.
Dufour Prostatic 3-Way Short Tip 100% Silicone Catheter: 50 ml balloon, sizes 18-24 Ch/Fr, for up to 30 days.

You can buy Foley catheters in Moscow at Uromed M by calling +7 495 783 68 11 or by sending a request to e-mail [email protected] We work with individuals and legal entities. Fast delivery to any region of Russia. No minimum order!

Uromed M is the official distributor of Coloplast products (France) in Russia. Direct deliveries from the Coloplast factory from France.

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Foley catheters Folysil, silicone, type male straight