Where Should The Urinary Drainage Bag Be Kept

Caring For Your Leg Bag

Empty Urinary Drainage Bag CNA Skill NEW

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 nurse 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 nurse 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 decrease your blood flow and cause blood clots.
Empty the leg bag into the toilet every 2 to 4 hours, as needed. You can do this through the spout at the bottom. Dont let the bag become completely full.
Dont lie down for longer than 2 hours while youre wearing the leg bag.

How To Disconnect A Night Drainage Bag:

As with attaching a night bag, if someone is doing this for you, they must wear disposable gloves.

High standards of hygiene are essential at all times. You must wash your hands prior to handling your night drainage bag, see our 6 step handwashing guide here.

Wash hands, put on gloves.

Close tap on leg bag or valve.

Disconnect night drainage bag from leg bag or valve if worn.

Empty urine from bag and discard as instructed by your Healthcare Professional .

I Appropriate Urinary Catheter Use

Insert catheters only for appropriate indications , and leave in place only as long as needed.

Minimize urinary catheter use and duration of use in all patients, particularly those at higher risk for CAUTI or mortality from catheterization such as women, the elderly, and patients with impaired immunity.

Avoid use of urinary catheters in patients and nursing home residents for management of incontinence.

Further research is needed on periodic use of external catheters in incontinent patients or residents and the use of catheters to prevent skin breakdown.

Use urinary catheters in operative patients only as necessary, rather than routinely.

For operative patients who have an indication for an indwelling catheter, remove the catheter as soon as possible postoperatively, preferably within 24 hours, unless there are appropriate indications for continued use.

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Purposes And Types Of Catheters

These types of catheters are common.

A straight catheterdrains the bladder and then is removed.

An indwelling catheter is left in the bladder. Urine drains constantly into a drainage bag. A balloon near the tip is inflated with sterile water after the catheter is inserted. The balloon prevents the catheter from slipping out of the bladder .

S For Cleaning Drainage Bags And Bottles

Drainage containers should be cleaned after each use to prepare for the next use.

Mix 1 tablespoon bleach with ½ cup tap water

Instructions:

Wash hands before and after cleaning collection container

Mix together your cleaning solution using the recipe above

Pour the solution into the collection bottle or bag through the tubing

Agitate for 30 seconds

Drain the solution out of the bag or bottle

Allow to air dry

¼ cup vinegar to ¾ cups tap water

Instructions:

Wash hands before and after cleaning collection container

Mix together your cleaning solution using the recipe above

Pour the solution into the collection bottle or bag through the tubing

Agitate for 30 seconds

Drain the solution out of the bag or bottle

Allow to air dry

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Getting Ready For Bed

When your night drainage bag is connected and you are ready to go to bed, decide on which side of the bed you want the drainage bag to hang. Tape the drainage tubing to the thigh of the leg that will be next to the side of the bed where the bag will hang. Use hypoallergenic tape, which is available at most drug stores and supermarkets. Leave some slack in the line so you will not pull on the catheter when you move while sleeping.

When you get into bed, set up the drainage tubing so it does not kink or loop. Then hang the drainage bag by its hook from the side of the bed frame. Be sure to keep the drainage bag below the level of the bladder at all times, whether you are lying, sitting, or standing. Do not hang the bag from the headboard or footboard of the bed, or from a chair beside the bed.

Care Of Urinary Drainage & Leg Bags

There are a few tips that apply to night drainage and leg bags:

Keep the collection bottle of bag below the level of the hip
This promotes drainage of urine

Wash your hands before and after emptying

Empty your drainage bag when to ½ full

Do not allow the drainage bag to rest on the floor

Some people it in a bucket or bowl to keep it off of the floor

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How To Care For Your Drainage Bags

Follow these directions to care for either your leg bag or your night drainage bag:

After disconnecting the bag and replacing it with another, wash the used bag with soap and warm water. Then rinse with water.
Disinfect the used bag with a mixture of white vinegar and water. Do not use yellow vinegar.
> Mix 1 1/4 cups of white vinegar with 2 quarts of water.
> Rinse the bag well with this solution to help reduce urine odor. Do not rinse the bag with water after using the vinegar solution.
Wash your hands with soap and water.
Special note: You may use both types of drainage bags for up to 1 month. After 1 month, you will need new bags. You can buy new bags at most home health care supply stores.

When To Call The Doctor

Skill 10 Emptying a Urinary Drainage bag

A urinary tract infection is the most common problem for people with an indwelling urinary catheter.

Pain around your sides or lower back.
Urine smells bad, or it is cloudy or a different color.
Fever or chills.
A burning sensation or pain in your bladder or pelvis.
You do not feel like yourself. Feeling tired, achy, and have a hard time focusing.

Are not sure how to attach, clean, or empty your leg bag
Notice your bag is filling up quickly, or not at all
Have a skin rash or sores
Have any questions about your catheter bag

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Why A Urinary Catheter

The following are reasons your doctor may have asked that you have a urinary catheter:

If your doctors and nurses need to know exactly how much urine you are putting out to provide appropriate care for you
If you cannot completely empty your bladder when you urinate
If urine often leaks from your bladder that you cannot control, and you also have signs of a bladder infection or your kidneys are not working well
If you have open wounds or pressure sores around your genitals or buttocks that are frequently soiled with urine because you cannot control the flow of urine
If you have a severe illness or disability that makes moving or changing your clothes very painful

There may be other reasons you have your urinary catheter. Please talk with your doctor about why you need your catheter.

Check And Clean The Catheter Tubing

Check the tubing. If there are kinks, cracks, clogs, or you cant see into the tubing, youll need to change to new tubing as you were shown by your healthcare provider.
If the current tubing can still be used, wash it with soap and water. Always wash the tubing in the direction away from your body. Don’t pull on the tubing.
Dry the tubing with a clean washcloth or paper towel.

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Important Things To Know

Make sure that the catheter is attached/secured to your leg. This will prevent pulling on the catheter. Make sure the catheter tube is not pulled too tight. Keep catheter tubing in an “S” curve from insertion site to securing device. Wearing underwear can also help keep catheter tube secure. Make sure the tubing is not twisted or kinked.

Keep the catheter and drainage bag below the bladder and off the floor. Keep the catheter and drainage bag connected to keep out germs unless your provider allows you to use a leg bag during the day. Do not lie flat if you have a leg bag attached. This could cause urine backflow which could lead to an infection in your catheter.

Keep the catheter and the insertion site clean. Urine may sometimes leak around the catheter. There is no reason for alarm unless the catheter is always leaking or there is little or no urine going into the drainage bag.

How Often Should You Clean Urinary Catheter Bag

Unomedical Urinary Drainage Bag 2000ml 100cm Tube

How often should you clean urinary catheter bag? Ask your healthcare provider how often you should clean your bag and what solution you should use to reduce odor and keep your bag free of germs. Shake the solution a bit and allow it to remain in the bag for 30 minutes. Drain the solution and rinse the bag with cold tap water.

How do you empty a catheter leg bag? Empty your catheter leg bag using a valve. For a leg bag, turn the knob or valve at the bottom of the bag counter-clockwise to open it. Let the urine drain from the bag completely. Then, close the valve or knob by turning it back clockwise as far as it will go.

How often should I empty my drainage bag? Ensure your catheter tubing is not kinked , as this will block the flow of urine. Make sure your drainage bag is always lower than your bladder, as urine does not drain uphill. If using a leg bag, empty the bag every 2 or 3 hours to prevent the weight of the urine dragging on the catheter.

How often should you empty your leg bag? Empty your leg bag at regular intervals to avoid it becoming too full and heavy, which may pull on your catheter. This should occur every 2 to 3 hours or when the bag is about half to three-quarters full. Can you feel yourself pee with a catheter?

How To Clean Your Catheter

Itâs best to clean your catheter twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Youâll need:

Clean washcloth

Then, you can follow these nine steps:

Wash your hands with soap and warm water.

Wash the inside of the bag with soap and cool water .

Rinse the bag with cool water to get all the soap out.

Mix 1 cup cool water with 1 cup white vinegar.

Fill the bag halfway with the vinegar solution, then shake it up.

Let the bag sit for 15 to 30 minutes.

Empty the bag and rinse it with cool water.

Hang the bag to let it dry.

Wash your hands again.

Ii Proper Techniques For Urinary Catheter Insertion

Perform hand hygiene immediately before and after insertion or any manipulation of the catheter device or site.

Ensure that only properly trained persons who know the correct technique of aseptic catheter insertion and maintenance are given this responsibility.

In the acute care hospital setting, insert urinary catheters using aseptic technique and sterile equipment.

Use sterile gloves, drape, sponges, an appropriate antiseptic or sterile solution for periurethral cleaning, and a single-use packet of lubricant jelly for insertion.

Routine use of antiseptic lubricants is not necessary.

Further research is needed on the use of antiseptic solutions vs. sterile water or saline for periurethral cleaning prior to catheter insertion.

In the non-acute care setting, clean technique for intermittent catheterization is an acceptable and more practical alternative to sterile technique for patients requiring chronic intermittent catheterization.

Further research is needed on optimal cleaning and storage methods for catheters used for clean intermittent catheterization.

Properly secure indwelling catheters after insertion to prevent movement and urethral traction.

Unless otherwise clinically indicated, consider using the smallest bore catheter possible, consistent with good drainage, to minimize bladder neck and urethral trauma.

If intermittent catheterization is used, perform it at regular intervals to prevent bladder overdistension.

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Iv Quality Improvement Programs

Implement quality improvement programs or strategies to enhance appropriate use of indwelling catheters and to reduce the risk of CAUTI based on a facility risk assessment. The purposes of QI programs should be:

to assure appropriate utilization of catheters

to identify and remove catheters that are no longer needed and

to ensure adherence to hand hygiene and proper care of catheters.

Examples of programs that have been demonstrated to be effective include:

A system of alerts or reminders to identify all patients with urinary catheters and assess the need for continued catheterization

Guidelines and protocols for nurse-directed removal of unnecessary urinary catheters

Education and performance feedback regarding appropriate use, hand hygiene, and catheter care

Guidelines and algorithms for appropriate peri-operative catheter management, such as:

Procedure-specific guidelines for catheter placement and postoperative catheter removal

Protocols for management of postoperative urinary retention, such as nurse-directed use of intermittent catheterization and use of bladder ultrasound scanners

Provision of guidelines

Provide and implement evidence-based guidelines that address catheter use, insertion, and maintenance.

Consider monitoring adherence to facility-based criteria for acceptable indications for indwelling urinary catheter use.

Education and Training

Supplies

Ensure that supplies necessary for aseptic technique for catheter insertion are readily available.

Iii Proper Techniques For Urinary Catheter Maintenance

Skill – How to Empty a Urinary Drainage Bag | Empty Urinary Drainage and Record

Following aseptic insertion of the urinary catheter, maintain a closed drainage system

If breaks in aseptic technique, disconnection, or leakage occur, replace the catheter and collecting system using aseptic technique and sterile equipment.

Consider using urinary catheter systems with preconnected, sealed catheter-tubing junctions.

Maintain unobstructed urine flow.

Keep the catheter and collecting tube free from kinking.

Keep the collecting bag below the level of the bladder at all times. Do not rest the bag on the floor.

Empty the collecting bag regularly using a separate, clean collecting container for each patient avoid splashing, and prevent contact of the drainage spigot with the nonsterile collecting container.

Use Standard Precautions, including the use of gloves and gown as appropriate, during any manipulation of the catheter or collecting system.

Complex urinary drainage systems are not necessary for routine use.

Changing indwelling catheters or drainage bags at routine, fixed intervals is not recommended. Rather, it is suggested to change catheters and drainage bags based on clinical indications such as infection, obstruction, or when the closed system is compromised.

Unless clinical indications exist , do not use systemic antimicrobials routinely to prevent CAUTI in patients requiring either short or long-term catheterization.

Further research is needed on the use of urinary antiseptics to prevent UTI in patients requiring short-term catheterization.

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Preventing Infections And Other Complications

Having a long-term urinary catheter increases your risk of developing urinary tract infections and can also lead to other problems, such as blockages.

To minimise these risks you should:

wash the skin in the area where the catheter enters your body with mild soap and water every day
wash your hands with soap and warm water before and after touching your catheter equipment
make sure you stay well hydrated you should aim to drink enough fluids so that your urine stays a pale colour
avoid constipation staying hydrated can help with this, as can eating high-fibre foods, such as fruit and vegetables and wholegrain foods
avoid having kinks or bends in the catheter and make sure any urine collection bags are always kept below the level of your bladder

Read more about the risks of urinary catheterisation.

Should I Use A Urinary Leg Bag Or Overnight Drainage Bag

What is the difference between the two? The biggest difference between an overnight drainage bag and a urinary leg bag is the over-all size of the product. The other important difference is that a leg bag is meant to be worn and an overnight bag is meant to hang next to your bed while you are sleeping or resting. A leg bag is designed to be worn on your leg while you are moving and going about your day. The leg bag has straps that go around your thigh or calf, these straps hold the leg bag in place. You can easily wear pants over your leg bag and some leg bags are designed so they can be worn with shorts. When your leg bag is 3/4 of the way full, it will need to be emptied. Most leg bags hold between 19 and 32 ounces. Overnight drainage bags hold between 2000 ml and 4000 ml. What this means is, by switching to an overnight drainage bag you will be able to sleep through the night without you or your caregiver having to get up to empty a leg bag.

Importance Of Drainage Bag Care

For those who may be adjusting to using urinary incontinence products such as a catheter system, one of the greatest challenges can be proper, hygienic use, and care of your medical devices. If catheter users do not practice proper catheter care and hygiene, they can be at a higher risk of developing urinary tract infections as well as other complications.

One of the most integral parts of a catheter system that requires frequent care and maintenance is the urine drainage bag and drainage system. Drainage bag care can be very simple, but it is essential to the overall health and well-being of the catheter system and its user.

How To Switch From A Urinary Leg Bag To An Overnight Catheter Bag

Sterile normal adult 2000ml Disposable Urine Collection Bag China ...

Put on disposable exam gloves .
Empty the leg bag, be careful not to open the drainage valve until you are over the toilet.
Remove the leg bag from the catheter if it is connected directly to the Foley catheter or remove it from the extension tubing if that is what you are using to connect the the catheter to the leg bag.
Do not contaminate the Foley catheter by letting it touch the floor or any area that is non-sterile! For extra security, use a disposable underpad to give yourself a clean work surface.
Before attaching the Foley catheter to the overnight drainage bag you should wipe the end of the catheter with an alcohol prep pad to sanitize the area, also wipe the tubing connector with the prep pad too.
Once the Foley catheter connection is sterilized, attach it to the overnight drainage bag’s tubing connector and place the bag in a water-proof bin or hang it from the lower part of the bed.

*These are instructions for people who are using Foley catheters. For external catheter users, the instructions are the same but you will not need to sterilize the catheter tubing or the top of the external catheter before switching to the overnight drainage bag. The added sterilization for Foley catheters is a precaution because using Foley catheters can put you at risk for urinary tract infections. It never hurts to be cautious and sometimes the small steps we take can help us avoid big problems. Make sure you consult your doctor before changing your healthcare routine.

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