Catheter Care Guide

A Foley catheter is a thin, flexible tube. One end sits inside your bladder and is held in place by a small water-filled balloon, so it will not fall out with normal movement. The other end connects to a drainage bag. Urine flows down the tube on its own — you do not have to do anything to make it drain.

It is normal to feel a mild urge to urinate, or to feel the tube now and then. Many people worry the catheter will pull out during everyday activity; the balloon is designed to prevent that. Keep the bag below the level of your bladder at all times so urine drains down and does not flow back.

You can usually shower with a catheter and drainage bag in place. Letting warm water run over the area is good for keeping it clean.

1. Keep the drainage bag connected. You do not need to take it off to shower.
2. Let the bag hang below your waist, or set it in the tub near your feet, so it stays lower than your bladder.
3. Wash the catheter area and the tube gently with mild soap and water.
4. Rinse and pat everything dry. Re-secure the tube to your leg (see the securing section below).

You may have two kinds of bags:

• Leg bag — small, straps to your thigh or calf, and hides under clothing. Best for daytime and getting around. It is smaller, so it needs emptying more often (about every 2–4 hours).
• Overnight (large) bag — bigger, holds more, and hangs by the bed. Best for sleeping so you do not have to get up to empty it. It hangs below the mattress on a stand or hook.

Emptying a bag

1. Wash your hands.
2. Hold the bottom of the bag over the toilet. Do not let the spout touch the toilet or bowl.
3. Open the drain valve (spout) and let the urine empty out.
4. Close the valve, wipe the spout with an alcohol wipe if you have one, and tuck it back into its sleeve.
5. Wash your hands again.

Switching from a leg bag to the overnight bag (bedtime)

1. Wash your hands and gather the overnight bag.
2. Empty the leg bag into the toilet first.
3. Pinch or clamp the catheter tube (or close the valve) so it does not leak while disconnected.
4. Disconnect the leg bag from the catheter. Keep both connection ends clean — do not let them touch the floor, toilet, or your skin.
5. Connect the overnight bag to the catheter, pushing the ends together firmly.
6. Unclamp the tube. Hang the overnight bag below the level of the bed.
7. Wash your hands.

In the morning, do the same steps in reverse to put the leg bag back on.

Securing the tube to your leg is one of the most important things you can do. It keeps the catheter from tugging on your bladder, which prevents pain, leakage, and bleeding.

• Use the leg straps or an anchoring device (often called a StatLock) to hold the tube against your thigh.
• Leave a little slack so the tube is not pulled tight when you stand, sit, or walk — but not so loose that it dangles and catches.
• Move the strap position slightly each day to avoid skin irritation.
• Some people switch the tube between the right and left leg to stay comfortable.

Some urine leaking around the catheter (not through the tube) is common and does not mean the catheter is broken. It often happens because of bladder spasms — the bladder squeezes and pushes a little urine past the tube.

Common causes of leakage:

• Bladder spasms (the most common reason)
• Constipation pressing on the bladder
• A kink or blockage in the tube, so urine backs up and leaks

What can help:

• Check that the tube is not kinked, twisted, or trapped under your leg.
• Make sure the bag is below your bladder and draining.
• Keep your bowels moving — stay hydrated and treat constipation.

After many urology procedures, seeing some pink or light-red urine is expected, especially in the first days or after you have been more active. The color often comes and goes.

If little or no urine is going into the bag, work through these checks in order. Most drainage problems are from a simple kink or the bag being too high.

1. Check for kinks. Follow the tube from your body to the bag. Straighten any bends, twists, or loops. Make sure you are not sitting or lying on the tube.
2. Check the bag position. The bag must be below your bladder. If it drifted up onto the bed or a chair, lower it.
3. Check the valve. Make sure the drain spout at the bottom is fully closed and not stuck open or clogged.
4. Move and hydrate. Stand or gently change position, and drink a glass of water. Sometimes sediment or a small clot shifts and flow returns.
5. Look for sediment or clots in the tube. Gently lowering the tubing can help gravity move it along. Do not pull on the catheter.

If you have tried these steps and still see no drainage — especially if your lower belly feels full, tight, or painful — call your care team now. A catheter that is not draining needs prompt attention.

Bladder spasms are sudden, crampy squeezes low in your belly or around the tip of the penis or the urethra. They can feel like a strong, urgent need to urinate even though the catheter is already draining. They may push a little urine around the catheter. Spasms are common with a catheter and usually ease over time.

What can help:

• Make sure the tube is not kinked and the bag is draining.
• Keep the catheter well secured so it is not tugging.
• Stay ahead of constipation — a full bowel makes spasms worse.
• Warmth low on the belly can be soothing.
• If your care team prescribed a medicine for spasms, take it as directed.