Table of contents:
- Inserting a urine catheter can trigger urinary tract infections
- How to prevent urinary tract infections
- How to care for a catheter to prevent infection
Urine catheter placement is intended for patients who are unable to urinate on their own or are unable to control urine output during the medical treatment period. Since this tool will be placed directly into the urinary tract, patients who use a urine catheter will be susceptible to infection in that area. You must really understand how to care for a urine catheter to prevent urinary tract infections that can lead to further complications.
Inserting a urine catheter can trigger urinary tract infections
Urinary tract infections associated with catheter insertion are generally caused by bacteria from the medical equipment, the hands of the medic who inserted the catheter, or even from the patient's own body. These bacteria move through the outer surface as well as the inner surface of the catheter tube to the urinary tract, causing infection.
Symptoms of infection generally include:
- fever and chills
- headache
- burning sensation in the urinary tract or genitals
- urine looks pale with pus
- bad-smelling urine
- there is blood in the urine
- lower back pain
The risk of urinary tract infections due to catheter insertion is higher if you use the catheter for a long time. In addition, patients who experience diarrhea, diabetes, are female, have a weak immune system, and mistakenly treat catheters are also at risk of developing this disease.
How to prevent urinary tract infections
Efforts to prevent urinary tract infections must be done from the beginning when medical personnel perform catheter insertion. Citing guidance from the CDC and SA pages Health, the procedure for installing this device must be carried out by trained and competent medical personnel by applying the following important points:
- Catheter placement is only done when it is necessary, and should be removed as soon as the patient does not need it anymore.
- Medical professionals who do this must employ sterile insertion techniques.
- The skin in the catheter insertion area must first be cleaned using a sterile liquid.
- Using sterile, single-use anesthetic lubricants or gels.
- There are two methods of removing urine from the catheter. The first method uses an external catheter, while the other method is to use a so-called temporary catheter intermittent urethral catheterization.
- Medical personnel should immediately secure the position of the catheter that has been placed to prevent movement and traction of the urinary tract.
How to care for a catheter to prevent infection
Bacteria can also infect the urinary tract on the second and third days after the catheter is placed. Therefore, you also have to make sure that you have treated the catheter properly. In an effort to prevent infection, you can apply the following methods:
- Always clean your hands before and after treating a catheter.
- Do not bend, bend, or remove the catheter from the drain hose.
- Ensure that the urine collection bag is positioned lower than the bladder to prevent backflow.
- Keep the tube and urine collection bag away from the leg so that it is not pulled.
- Ensure that the end of the catheter tube does not touch anything when emptying the holding bag.
This principle of preventing infection applies not only in the hospital, but also in your home if you still have to use a catheter. Before leaving the hospital, ask your nurse everything you need to know about catheter care. If symptoms of urinary tract infection appear due to catheter insertion, consult the relevant doctor immediately.
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