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What should I expect when having a suprapubic catheter inserted?

Welcome back to LINC Medical’s series of blogs designed to help catheter users and their carers. Many people are worried when they are told they need a suprapubic catheter. You may know someone who has had one or been told stories about how it feels.  What is involved? Will it hurt? These concerns can cause anxiety, making your decision to go ahead with a suprapubic catheter harder to resolve. The following information should help you to understand what to expect with a suprapubic catheter and ease the process of making your decision whether to have one or not. A suprapubic catheter is a sterile tube passed through your abdomen directly into your bladder to help your bladder empty. People usually are offered one if they are unable to pass urine in the normal way although it is common to have a urethral catheter first. The procedure A suprapubic catheter is first inserted by a doctor or advanced nurse practitioner in a hospital or clinic setting. You are usually awake for the procedure but will be given some local anaesthetic to numb the area. You usually are asked to lie as flat as you can on your back and may have…
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Help! My catheter is not draining!

Welcome back to LINC Medical’s series of blogs designed to help catheter users and their carers. Do you have problems with your catheter draining slowly or not at all? This is a common issue that affects many catheter users but can easily be avoided using a few simple steps, outlined in this blog. From time to time you may notice that your catheter seems to be draining slowly or not at all. It is always a good idea at this time to gently and slowly move the catheter around to see if this helps with the flow of urine. If that doesn’t help, go through the following checklist: • Straighten out any bends or kinks in the tubing • Make sure the catheter bag is below the level of your bladder • Physically move yourself around, by going for a walk for example • Make sure you have been drinking enough fluids • Take a look at the catheter tube and make sure there is no grit or sediment blocking it If these steps do not work and you do not feel dehydrated then your catheter may be blocked if it is not draining. A blockage would mean that your…
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Your first few days with a catheter

Welcome back to LINC Medical’s series of blogs designed to help catheter users and their carers. Today’s blog is for those looking for guidance in their first few days living with a catheter. Being at home with a catheter for the first time can be nerve wracking. It is important to note that a small amount of blood in the urine or around the insertion site (if it is new) is perfectly normal. Bleeding should only be a concern if your catheter is already a few days old. Bladder cramps are another catheter side effect that are completely normal in the beginning. They should stop after a few days and are usually mild enough that they can be treated with simple pain relief like paracetamol. If you feel your bladder cramps are not stopping, if you feel unwell or if you have any other symptoms then contact your nurse or doctor. Some urine leaking is usually a result of these initial bladder cramps or spasms and should not worry you. In the unlikely event that your catheter starts leaking heavily or falls out completely then you will need to have a new catheter inserted. We hope you found this blog…
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5 Essential steps to change a leg bag

Welcome back to LINC Medical’s series of blogs designed to help catheter users and their carers. Changing your leg bag Leg bags should be changed every 5-7 days. Longer times between leg bag changes helps to reduce the risk of infection getting into the closed drainage system. Changing your leg bag safely involves 5 easy steps: 1. Wash your hands with warm soapy water and dry them 2. Grip the catheter at the join between the drainage tube and the inflation tube and grip the leg bag above the connector. Rotate the catheter gently whilst pulling away from the connector. 3. Take off the cap from the new bag and dispose of the old one 4. Gently but firmly push in the new bag into the catheter. Be careful not to touch the open catheter end or the connector on the new drainage bag. Once connected wash your hands again. 5. Make a note of the date you changed your leg bag on the bag date box, and pop a note in your calendar to remind you to change your leg bag after 5-7 days. Troubleshooting your leg bag Sometimes you might notice that yor leg bag is not filling.…
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How to choose a night drainage bag

Welcome back to LINC Medical’s series of blogs designed to help catheter users and their carers. The focus of this blog are night bags. Night bags are drainage bags that are used primarily at night or when a user is confined to bed. Choosing a night bag There are a wide variety of night bags available, so knowing how to choose one is important. Size Your night bag needs to have enough capacity to collect urine through the night without requiring it to be  emptied. Most night bags come with a 2L capacity, but if you find you are filling your 2L bag during the night, LINC Medical supplies a 3L single use night drainage bag (LM3LS). Length of tubing Since the night bag will connect to your leg bag, you need sufficient tubing to be able to turn over at night with causing tension on your drainage system. Many patients prefer bags with longer tubing. Most night drainage bags have tubing lengths of 90-120cm. Reusable night bags These are bags that can be reused for up to 7 days. They come in two options: • Integrated hanger – these bags include a plastic hanger that allows the bag to…
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How to choose a leg bag

There are many things to consider when choosing a leg bag. The aim of this blog is to help you in your decision making and explain the various choice at your disposal. Not all leg bags are the same. When choosing a leg bag, you should be aware of some of the variations available to you. Size Leg bags tend to come in 3 different capacities: 350ml, 500ml and 750ml. The best bag for you will depend on your own urine output and lifestyle choices. Some patients prefer the large capacity of the 750ml leg bag, allowing them to go longer without emptying their leg bag. Other patients like the compact size of the 350ml leg bag. It’s best to start with the common 500ml leg bag and then try larger or smaller sizes to see what works best. If you are caring for a child, smaller ‘Panda’ bags are available in 100ml or 200 ml sizes from LINC Medical. These are specifically designed with children in mind. Tubing Length LINC Medical Bags come in 4 tubing lengths: a. Direct For patients who are smaller in size or wish to keep their leg bag positioned on their upper thigh. b.…
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A handy guide to catheter valves

Catheter valves offer an alternative means of urine drainage to a bag. A valve connects to the end of your catheter so your bladder fills with urine instead of a leg bag. You can then open the valve at regular intervals to drain your bladder. The valve acts just like a lever valve on a drainage bag: To open, push the lever down towards the floor To close, pull it back again The benefits of a catheter valve many patients report the following benefits from using a catheter valve: Comfort – no heavy bag to hang down Dignity – small and easy to conceal Protection – less risk of damage to sensitive body parts as no heavy weight hanging from the outside of your body and protection of the bladder wall as it is lifted above the catheter when full Preservation – using a valve helps to keep the tone of your bladder muscles and elastic fibres which can be lost with a bag Reduced blockage – due to the catheter regularly being flushed with urine Independence – valves may help you to manage your continence difficulties with less outside help Mobility – easier to move with a small valve…
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