A suprapubic catheter is a germ-free tube that drains urine out of your bladder. It is inserted through an opening on your abdomen (stoma) and into your bladder. Suprapubic means that the urinary catheter is inserted into your body above the pubic bone. Urinary catheters are used when you experience difficulties with your urination due to some health conditions.
What is a closed drainage system?
The drainage system is comprised of your sterile urine drainage bag and your suprapubic catheter that forms a pathway going from the catheter tip in your bladder towards your urine bag. This creates a closed drainage system where there are no disconnections or leaks. Normally, your urinary system is a is sterile and closed to prevent microbes from entering it.
Importance of taking care of your drainage bag and catheter
Infections from urinary catheters are very common which can lead to severe medical conditions and even death. Hence, it is critical that you take care of your urinary catheter and drainage bag. To prevent infections, you should:
- Drink at least 8 to 12 cups of liquids every day.
- Wash your hands before and after handling your catheter and drainage bag.
- Ensure that you perform proper care and cleaning on your catheter.
- Be knowledgeable on how long your catheter can stay in place.
- Keep your catheter drainage system closed all the time except when replacing it.
- Ensure that the catheter tubing is properly secured on your leg.
- Always perform proper hand hygiene.
- Position the drainage bag as well as the urine bag properly. Make sure that there are no loops or kinks on your tubing. Keep your urine bag below the waist level and off the floor.
- Empty your urine bag only as needed or at least every 3 to 6 hours or when it is half to 2/2 full.
- Clean and replace the urine bag as instructed by your doctor.
How to take care of my drainage bag
- Always perform proper hand hygiene.
- Position the drainage bag as well as the urine bag properly. Make sure that there are no loops or kinks on your tubing. Keep your urine bag below the waist level and off the floor.
- Empty your urine bag only as needed or at least every 3 to 6 hours or when it is half to 2/2 full.
- Clean and replace the urine bag as instructed by your doctor.
How to clean your stoma
To clean your stoma, you should:
- Gather the items you need including soap, warm water, sterile gauze, clean towel, gauze bandage, medical gloves, and waste bin.
- Wash your hands.
- Put on your clean gloves.
- Remove the old bandage gently.
- Assess the catheter site for redness, swelling, drainage and skin injuries. Report any unwanted changes on your healthcare provider.
- Throw away your used gloves, wash your hands and ten put on another pair of gloves,
- Hold the tip of the catheter near the insertion site.
- Wipe the catheter with sterile gauze to remove blood or any other material. Start at the area near your stoma and wipe away from it.
- Clean the skin around the stoma in a circular motion.
- Pat the area gently.
- Throw your used gloves and wash your hands.
- Apply a new bandage.
- Secure the tubing with a tape. Ensure that there are no kinks or loops on the tubing.
How to change your catheter
You may need to change your catheter every after 4 to 6 weeks. To do this, you should:
- Wash your hands with water and soap.
- Prepare your sterile supplies – new catheter kit which includes the catheter, gel lubricant, syringe, gloves, and sterile water. You should also prepare anesthesia, bandages and tape.
- Ensure that the tip of your new catheter is already lubricated.
- Put on two pairs of gloves – one over the other.
- Clean the area around your catheter site with a sterile solution.
- Deflate the balloon with one of your prepared syringes.
- Slowly remove the old catheter.
- Remove the top pair of gloves.
- Insert the new catheter as far as the old catheter was placed.
- Wait for your urine to flow, which may take a few minutes.
- Inflate the balloon using sterile water (5 to 8 ml).
- Attach the drainage bag.
If you are having difficulties in changing your catheter, you should call your doctor immediately.
What problems may occur with changing my catheter and what should I do?
- Catheter is not coming out easily during replacing it. If this happens, you may need to use another type of catheter. You should also tell your doctor about this.
- Not able to insert the new catheter.If you are unableto insert the new catheter, immediately cover your stoma with a sterile gauze and call your doctor right away.
- Catheter balloon is in the wrong place. If it is not inserted deep enough, insert more of the catheter and fill the balloon again. If it is inserted to deep, try to pull it out slowly until you are in the right place.
- The catheter comes out accidentally. If this occurs, insert a new catheter.
- Loss of stoma.Your stoma will close after 5 to 10 minutes if there is no catheter in it. Immediately put on a new catheter, if not, immediately seek care.
- Blocked catheter.Ensure that there are no leaks or kinks. Increase the amount of your oral fluid intake.
- Tissue overgrowth around your stoma.Prevent this by moving the catheter around to reduce pressure.
- Lower abdominal pain
- Urine leakage on your urethra or around your stoma
- No urine output
What other complications may occur?
- The catheter comes out accidentally. If this occurs, insert a new catheter.
- Loss of stoma.Your stoma will close after 5 to 10 minutes if there is no catheter in it. Immediately put on a new catheter, if not, immediately seek care.
- Blocked catheter.Ensure that there are no leaks or kinks. Increase the amount of your oral fluid intake.
- Tissue overgrowth around your stoma.Prevent this by moving the catheter around to reduce pressure.
Signs and symptoms of catheter problems
- Lower abdominal pain
- Urine leakage on your urethra or around your stoma
- No urine output
When should I call my doctor?
Call your doctor when:
- You are having a fever.
- You notice changes on your urine – its smell and color.
- You notice urine leakage.
- You notice that there is skin overgrowth around your stoma.
- The closed drainage system has accidentally opened.
- Your catheter appeared blocked.
- You notice that you have less urine than usual.
- The catheter accidentally comes out and you are not able to replace it immediately.
- Your insertion site have pus, blood, pus and redness.
- You experience pain on your lower abdomen, pelvis, back or hip.
When to seek immediate help
- You notice that you have less urine than usual.
- The catheter accidentally comes out and you are not able to replace it immediately.
- Your insertion site have pus, blood, pus and redness.
- You experience pain on your lower abdomen, pelvis, back or hip.
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