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Emptying a urine bag is often a task that falls to relatives when they are caring for a loved one at home. If the person in need of care has had an indwelling urinary catheter fitted, it is particularly important to handle the urinary system in a hygienic manner.
Emptying a urine bag: How family caregivers should proceed
Before performing nursing procedures of this kind in home care, you should always wash your hands thoroughly and then disinfect them. You should also wear disposable gloves during the nursing procedure.
- After putting on the disposable gloves, disinfect the drain valve. To do this, spray one or two sprays of a commercially available disinfectant onto the valve.
- Place a bucket under the urine bag. It should not touch the drain valve.
- Open the drain valve and empty the urine bag quickly.
- Once no more urine is dripping out, close the drain valve immediately. This prevents pathogens from the environment entering the urinary system.
- Disinfect the drain valve again with one or two sprays of disinfectant.
- Check the drained urine for color, odor, consistency, and quantity. Make a note of this information for the outpatient care service or your family doctor.
- Pour the urine into the toilet, flush, and clean the bucket. If necessary, the bucket should also be disinfected.
- Disinfect your hands.
Further tips on urine bags
In addition to the emptying process, you should also take other advice into account. This will ensure proper hygiene and prevent diseases such as cystitis or kidney disease from developing.
- Empty the urine bag in good time. The bag should not be filled to the brim, as there is a risk that the urine will back up into the bladder or kidneys.
- Therefore, hang the urine bag on the nursing bed, chair, or wheelchair so that it is below the level of the bladder. This will prevent the urine from flowing back.
- Whether the patient is bedridden or seated, always make sure that the catheter tube is not kinked. In addition, the bag should not be under tension.
- When emptying the urine, make sure that it does not splash. Otherwise, you will contaminate the surrounding area.
- The urine bag should never come into contact with the floor. There are countless bacteria there. If they come into contact with the drain valve, there is a risk that they will enter the system, multiply, and cause disease.
