Indwelling Catheter Care

1. For positioning a female resident, they should be lying on their back, with knees bent and head slightly elevated, whereas for males it should be the supine or Fowler’s position.
2. Under the resident’s buttocks, there should be a protective pad placed.
3. Only the perineal area should be exposed for the patient.
4. When dealing with a female patient, gently open the labia with the non-dominant hand, in order to reveal the catheter insertion point, and hold your hand like this for the duration of the whole procedure. When the resident is male, use the non-dominant hand to retract the foreskin (if they have not been circumcised), and keep your hand like this for the duration of the procedure, at the base of the head of the penis.
5. Observe all urethral characteristics carefully.
6. Cleanse perineal tissue: When the patient is female, you need to clean using a soaped washcloth, from the meatus towards the anus. With male patients, cleanse the area around the catheter first and then the rest until the base of the head of the penis is reached. Dry everything carefully.
7. Use a circular motion to clean the catheter from the meatus to the connective tubing carefully.
8. Replace the foreskin for patients, who have not been circumcised.
9. Retain the comfort of the patient through positioning.
10. All characteristics throughout the procedure need to be reported and recorded according to facility policies.

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