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What Is It?

A Foley catheter is a thin bendable tube with a balloon on the end. The end of the tube and the balloon are pushed into your bladder to drain urine. While this tube is in the bladder, urine is drained from it right away. You may need this catheter for just a little while or for a long time. How long you need it depends on why you have it.

The bladder is a hollow organ that holds urine. When you are ready to pass urine, it travels through the urethra (a small tube) to an opening in the body. Urine is let out of the body through this opening.
Why do you need it? You may need a catheter because of an infection, or a swollen prostate gland. You may need a catheter because of medicine you are taking. You may need a catheter because of a disease or an injury that is causing problems in your urinary tract. Catheters may be used because you cannot pass the urine by yourself. After surgery, some people need to have catheters. The catheter is often used to keep track of how much urine a person is passing. When you have a catheter, it is important that you drink enough liquid every day. Ask your caregiver how much liquid you should drink each day.

Inserting a Foley catheter:

You will need to lie on your back covered by a sheet. While wearing sterile gloves, your caregiver will carefully clean the area around your urethra.

A soft tube called a Foley catheter will be gently put into your urethra. The tube will pass through the urethra and into your bladder.

When the tube gets to your bladder, the balloon will be filled with sterile water by your caregiver. The balloon will keep the catheter in your bladder.

The balloon presses against the wall of your bladder. This may make you feel like you need to pass urine. Instead of you passing the urine, it will drain out the catheter and into the urine bag.

To keep the catheter in place, it will be taped to your abdomen (stomach) or leg.

Putting in your catheter should take about 10 minutes.

Caring for your Foley or leg drainage bag:

Catheters are designed to be closed drainage systems. This means that the path from the tip of the catheter inserted into the bladder, to the bag which catches urine, is closed. A closed system decreases the chance of getting an infection. It also decreases the chance of the catheter breaking and urine spilling out. People with catheters and their caregivers should avoid detaching parts of the catheter along the closed system unless it is necessary.

Larger, sterile, drainable, 2 liter drainage bags or smaller sterile leg bags are used to collect your urine. To keep a closed system, these bags are connected directly to the catheter. If you use a leg bag to collect urine, a larger drainage bag may be attached at night with a special connector. A drainage bag should be emptied only when it is full enough that this is needed. Some plastic drainage bags should be changed every 5 to 7 days. Ask your caregiver how often your drainage bag should be changed.

Drainage bags must be kept below the level of the bladder. This will allow gravity to help drain the urine, and will stop urine from flowing back into your bladder. Urine that flows back into your bladder increases your risk of an infection. Do not let the drainage bag rest on or touch the floor. The tubing that goes from your urethra to a leg bag should be secured to your thigh with special tape, a leg strap, or a drain tube stabilizer. Allow extra tubing between the urethra and the point where it is secured to your thigh.
CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. You can then discuss treatment options with your caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.