What You Can Do When Your Bladder Does
Not Completely Empty
(Bladder Management)
www.bcwomens.ca
Sometimes after you have had your baby, your bladder does not completely empty. If this
happens to you, your doctor may ask you to carry out intermittent self-catheterization.
Questions & Answers:
Why can’t I leave the catheter in all the
time?
What is intermittent self-catheterization and
when do you do it?
The catheter may cause you to get a bladder infection if
left in for long periods of time.
When you do intermittent self-catheterization, you pass
a small rubber tube (the catheter) through the urethral
opening into your bladder. The urine drains out into a
container. Once your bladder is empty, you remove the
catheter.
Intermittent self-catheterization is usually done if you
are voiding (passing urine) less than 150 cc of urine on
your own. We ask you to try and void every 3-4 hours
and do intermittent catheterization at least every 4-6
hours after trying to void on your own.
When do you stop intermittent self
catheterization?
You stop intermittent self-catheterization when there
is less than 100 cc of urine in your bladder after you
catheterize.
Why is my bladder not emptying
completely?
The reason your bladder may not empty completely is
that your urethra can become sore and swollen during
the birth of your baby. This can affect your bladder’s
ability to empty completely.
Why does the bladder have to be emptied
completely?
If the bladder is not emptied completely it becomes
distended (larger). This causes your bladder to overflow
(leak urine) and may cause you to get a bladder
infection. The best way to prevent infection is to
completely empty the bladder.
Self-Catheterization Procedure
at Home
Equipment Required
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•
•
•
•
•
•
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Clean # 14 French catheter
Wet wash cloth
K-Y lubricant in a tube
Clean towel to dry hands
Protective pad or towel
Plastic bag for garbage
Urine hat from the hospital
Mirror if needed
Clean soapy wash cloth
Paper towel to lay catheter on
Self-catheterization is a clean rather than a sterile
procedure. Please read all the steps below before you
start.
1. Before every catheterization, try to void on the toilet.
If you have not passed urine or have passed less
than 150cc of urine you will need to self-catheterize
yourself.
2. Wash your hands with
soap and water.
Cleanliness is very
important!
3. Arrange supplies on a
clean dry surface within
easy reach.
cont’d...
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4. Sit on the toilet, bed or a chair. Use a towel under
your bottom if on the
bed or chair.
8. Put the catheter into the urethra.
a) Hold the catheter as you would a pencil.
b) Insert in an upward and backward direction for
2-3 inches until the urine flow starts (make sure
the other end of the catheter is in the urine hat or
container).
5. Put K-Y jelly on the
catheter tip and
then lay the catheter
on a paper towel.
c) If it feels like the catheter will not go in, stop.
This is most likely due to the muscle going into
a spasm. Take a few deep breathes to help you
relax. Wait for the spasm to pass and then continue.
6. With your left hand open the labia. Find the urethra
(urinary opening) between the clitoris and vagina
by looking in the mirror or by feeling it with your
fingertip.
9. When the urine flow stops, slowly remove the
catheter and throw it away, if disposable, or set it
aside for cleaning.
If you take the catheter out to quickly, urine may
remain in the lower part of the bladder and provide a
place for germs to grow.
7. Wash downward over the urethra with a soapy cloth.
Use a wet cloth and a downward motion to rinse off
the soap.
10. Gently wash off any K-Y jelly and dry your skin by
patting gently.
11. Before emptying the urine from the urine hat, look
at the urine and write down the amount, colour and
odour (if present) on the record sheet at the back of
this pamphlet.
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12. Rinse the urine hat with tap water from the tub and
throw away the water in the toilet.
13. Clean your catheter (if not disposable).
See Cleaning Procedure page.
Cleaning Procedure for Reusable
Urinary Catheters
14. Wash your hands.
1. After each catheterization wash your catheter with
warm soapy water (we suggest Sunlight liquid dish
detergent).
15. Call your doctor if you have any of the following
signs and symptoms of infection:
•
cloudy or foul smelling urine
•
burning when passing your urine
•
chills
•
fever
•
generally “not feeling well”
•
low back pain.
2. Rinse your catheter well, inside and out, with warm
tap water.
3. Shake excess water off your catheter and place on
a clean towel to dry completely. Air drying reduces
the growth of bacteria on the catheter.
4. After your catheter is dry store in a clean dry
container such as a zip loc bag.
Purchasing Catheters for
Intermittent Self-Catheterization
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You may use either disposable urethral catheters that
you throw away or reuseable urethral catheters. If
you choose to purchase the catheters you use again
please refer to the cleaning procedure on page 8.
•
If you choose to buy disposable catheters we suggest
you buy enough for one week at a time.
•
With good cleaning and storage a reuseable catheter
can be used for 2-3 weeks.
•
Some extended health plans will reimburse your
expenses; please call your plan to find out.
•
Not all Medical Equipment and Supply centres listed
in the yellow pages have these catheters.
•
The following addresses supply all of the necessary
supplies for you to do catheterization in your
home. You may also look in the yellow pages
under “Hospital Equipment and Supplies,” for the
company closest to your home.
5. Before you use your catheter each time, check it
for changes in color, cracks and make sure that
the catheter is not plugged. If these problems are
present, throw away your catheter and use a new
one.
References
British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital. Self
Catheterization Female
F. G. Cunningham, N.F. Gant, K.J. Leveno, L.C. Gilstrap
III, J.C. Hauth, K.D. Wenstrom (2001). Williams
Obstetrics 21st edition. McGraw-Hill:New York, p. 415416.
A.G. Perry and P.A. Potter (2002). Clinical Nursing
Skills & Techniques 5th edition. Mosby: St. Louis, p.
706-718.
D.J. Lavallee, N.M. Lapierre, P.K. Henwood, J.R.
Pivik, M. Bost, V.S. Springthorpe, S.A. Sattar (March
1995) Catheter Cleaning for Re-Use in Intermittent
Catheterization: New Light on an Old Problem.
SciNursing, p.10-12.
1. Laurel Prescriptions Phone: (604) 873-5511
888 W 8th Ave, Vancouver (near Oak and 8th)
Parking in the basement
L. Lemke Self Catheterization & You. (2000).
Vancouver General Hospital & Health Sciences Centre.
P. Lemone and K. Burke Medical – Surgical Nursing:
Critical Thinking in Client Care 3rd edition. (2004)
Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, p. 1331.
2. Regency Medical Supplies Phone: (604) 434-1383
4437 Canada Way, Burnaby
K.N. Moore, Intermittent self-catheterization: researchbased practice. British Journal of Nursing, 1996, vol. 4,
no.18, p. 1059-1063.
3. All-Care Patient Products Phone: (604) 321-4214
5487 Victoria Drive, Vancouver
4. Ostomy Care & Supply Centre
Phone: (604) 522-4265
2004 – 8th Avenue, New Westminster
Residual Urine Record on page 3...
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Record Residual Urine
To determine when you may stop self-catheterization, your doctor will need to know how well you are emptying your
bladder on your own. After you have passed your urine, catheterize yourself and record the following information.
* Note: We ask you to catheterize yourself at least every six hours.
Date
Amount of
Urine Voided
Time
Amount of Urine
Drained from Catheter
Additional Comments (colour,
odour, pain, difficulty voiding prior)
Example:
October 5
2:00 pm
300cc
300cc
Developed by: BC Women’s Family Education Subcommittee
October 1993, Revised May 2005
BCW622 ©2005 Children’s & Women’s Hospital & Health Centre
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