About your visit
We have examined you and inserted a urinary catheter to help drain your bladder. The length of time you will have to use the catheter differs from person to person.
If the urinary catheter was inserted because you were suddenly unable to urinate, you must contact your general practitioner to have it removed. We will let you know when it should be taken out.
The urinary catheter is a hollow, flexible tube that is inserted into the bladder via the urethra. An inflated balloon filled with saline solution keeps the catheter from slipping out. The tube can be connected to a drainage bag and fitted with a stop valve if necessary.
When you get home
Contact your general practitioner if there is a problem with your catheter
You should contact your general practitioner or dial 1813 to reach the medical helpline outside your general practitioner’s opening hours if:
- there is blood in your urine
- your urine is cloudy or smells bad
- your bladder begins to hurt
- you develop a fever
- urine leaks out of the catheter
- the catheter becomes clogged.
Hygiene is very important
Always wash your hands before and after touching the catheter and/or the drainage bag. Take a shower or wash around the catheter with water and mild soap once a day. You should also wash the visible part of the catheter. Men should also wash under the foreskin.
Avoid bending the tube
Make sure that the tube is never bent. To avoid the tube pulling, make sure it is never wedged or caught up.
How to use the catheter during the day
During the day, the valve on the catheter must be closed, unless otherwise agreed with the hospital. Keep the valve closed and open it when you need to empty your bladder. However, open the valve every three or four hours to empty the urine into the toilet. Once the catheter is empty, close the valve and dry it off with toilet paper or wet wipe.
Instead of a valve, some people are given a drainage bag fixed to their leg with a short tube to use during the day.
How to use the catheter at night
The valve on the catheter must be closed at night unless otherwise agreed with the hospital. You do not need to empty the catheter until morning.
You can use a drainage bag instead of a valve at night if you have agreed this with the doctor. The catheter is connected to the drainage bag using a long tube, which is placed in a bag holder that can hang on the bed. To ensure the best possible drainage, the bag must be placed below the level of your bladder.
Hvis du har aftalt det med lægen, kan du også anvende en urinpose i stedet for en ventil om natten. Kateteret kobles til urinposen med en lang slange, som placeres i en poseholder, der kan hænge på sengen. For at sikre bedst muligt afløb, skal posen placeres under blæreniveau.
Drink plenty of fluids
We recommend that you drink at least two litres of fluids per day to help prevent bladder infections and reduce the risk of clogging the catheter. Two litres correspond to approximately ten cups of fluids.
The catheter can cause irritation
During the first couple of days, the catheter can make you feel like you need to pee. It can also irritate your urethra. Both are normal and often stop within a few days.
Practical precautions
The valve and drainage bag must be replaced
The valve and drainage bag must be replaced at least once a week and as needed. Contact your municipality if you need to obtain additional bags and valves.
Replace the urinary catheter after 3 months
If you need to have a urinary catheter for an extended period of time, it must be replaced after 3 months. The catheter can be replaced by your general practitioner, by your homecare nurse or at the hospital.
Precautions in connection with sex
You can have sex while you have a urinary catheter fitted, but we recommend that you empty your bladder beforehand.
Women can fix the catheter to their thigh using a plaster or tape.
Men can place the catheter on the underside of the penis and pull a condom over it. Most of the semen will be pushed into the bladder during ejaculation. However, some semen may leak out of the side of the catheter. It is normal for men to feel pain during an erection.
Proper personal hygiene by you and your partner helps reduce the risk of bladder infection.
Worth knowing