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 Urinary catheters are used to drain urine from the bladder when a person cannot urinate naturally on his or her own. If you have certain medical conditions or you’ve just undergone surgery, you may need to use a urinary catheter long or short term. Urine collection bags are used to collect and hold urine that drains through the catheter.

Draining a urine collection bag needs to be done on a regular basis. Bags should be drained whenever they are half-full, and also before going to bed. You’ll likely need to drain your collection bag at least every 7 or 8 hours, but you may need to do so more frequently. With some practice, most people become very efficient at draining urine collection bags.

It’s important to wash you hands thoroughly with soap and water before draining your own collection bag as well as after finishing the task. Some people prefer to wear gloves when emptying drainage bags. If someone else is helping you drain your urine collection bag, that person should wear sterile, disposable gloves. This can help prevent catheter related urinary tract infections from developing.

There are two types of urine collection bags or devices you may use at home. A leg drainage bag is a small bag that attaches to the leg with elastic bands. These discreet bags are easy to empty directly into the toilet. They are often worn during the day.

Some patients need to use a larger urine drainage device during the night. A down drain is placed on the floor near the bed or may be hung to the side of the bed during sleep.

Regardless of which type of urine collection bag you are using, it is important that the bag stays at a height below the bladder. This will prevent urine from flowing back into the bladder.

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Sometimes it’s just necessary for people to use a catheter to maintain their bladder and urinary tract health. There are plenty of people that catheterize themselves with either disposable or reusable catheters at home, but before you try it, you need to understand exactly what you can do to prevent an infection caused by catheterization.

The most basic way to prevent infection is also the most obvious: be clean. Although at-home catheterizations will never be completely sterile like those that take place at hospitals, you can take steps to be clean. First off, sterilize reusable catheters very well using alcohol or a diluted bleach solution. Secondly, always be sure to wash your hands before and after inserting the catheter.

You can also decrease your likelihood of infection by lubricating your catheter sufficiently. Using some sort of water-based gel will ensure that your urinary tract isn’t damaged or scratched, which would allow an entry point for bacteria. Using the smallest possible catheter will also help keep your urinary tract free of damage.

You can also clean up the catheterizing area with an alcohol wipe before inserting the tube. Another way to decrease your risk of infection is to only leave the catheter in as long as you are releasing urine. As soon as the flow of urine stops, you should remove the catheter.

Finally, you can help prevent bladder infection by using a trick your mother probably told you about: drinking cranberry juice. Just about any citrus juice will help clean out your bladder and get rid of bacteria, but cranberry juice is the most effective in preventing bladder infection. One way to really kick the bacteria out of your bladder and urinary tract is to drink a small glass of cranberry juice right before bed. It will sit in your bladder overnight, blasting away bacteria.

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