Be sure to wash hands before and after caring for a patient with an indwelling catheter
Clean the perineal area thoroughly, especially around the meatus, twice a day and after each bowel movement. This helps prevent organisms for entering the bladder
Use soap or detergent and water to clean the perineal area and rinse the area well
Make sure that the patient maintains a generous fluid intake. This helps prevent infection and irrigates the catheter naturally by increasing urinary output
Encourage the patient to be up and about as ordered
Record the patient’s intake and output
Note the volume and character of urine and record observations carefully
Teach the patient the importance of personal hygiene, especially the importance of careful cleaning after having bowel movement and thorough washing of hands frequently
Report any signs of infection promptly. These include a burning sensation and irritation at the meatus, cloudy urine, a strong odor to the urine, an elevated temperature and chills
Plan to change indwelling catheters only as necessary. The usual length of time between catheter changes varies and can be anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks. The less often a catheter is changed, the less the likelihood than an infection will develop