Home remedies for enlarged prostate include care of the urinary catheter.

This device is part of the treatment regimen for severe symptoms affecting the lower urinary tract.  Hygiene of the catheter is crucial for preventing urinary tract infections which are potentially lethal.  The following article covers the basics for maintaining your indwelling catheter.

Basic Care

• Routine hygienic practice with all medical devices that will process waste or penetrate the body’s interior environment is to sanitize the hands properly and dry them with sanitary towels of a cloth or paper composition.  Do not re-use these materials to clean and dry your hands more than once to prevent the spread of bacteria.

• Use a sanitizing solution to clean the aperture of the catheter which will enter your body.  Rinse the end of the device carefully in hot water making sure the sanitizing solution is completely removed from the surfaces all the way around it.  Failure to remove the sanitizing solution may cause inflammation to the skin and a high degree of discomfort making it difficult to keep the catheter in the proper position, or forcing you to remove it altogether.  Clean the device opening twice per day.

• Dry the area completely using a sanitized cloth or sanitary paper towel.  Dispose of both properly in closed containers to prevent the spread of bacteria from containers into the open air.

• Apply a thin film of anti-biotic ointment onto the area of the catheter that will fit inside the penile opening.

• Remember NEVER take a tub bath with the catheter in place.  The catheter exposes the penile opening to bacterial contact and increases dramatically the risk of infection.

Managing the Leg Receptacle

• The leg receptacle manages the containment of urinary discharge in a receptacle that allows you to retain your mobility while having to use a catheter full-time.

• The leg receptacle should be empty when half-filled with urinary discharge.  More than half-filled will compromise the safety measures for preventing containment breach, a highly unsanitary situation that will raise environmental risks for patient infections.

• Emptying the leg receptacle requires first that you sanitize your hands thoroughly.  Use only sterile towels or sanitary paper products to dry your hands.   Dispose of the drying materials in a closed container to prevent the spread of bacteria.

• Position yourself standing in close proximity to the toilet so that once you release the retainer straps the receptacle will be directly over the toilet in case there is any accidental release of the receptacle or it opens and spills any of the urinary discharge material.

• Operate the lever into the open position- pushing the lever so that it moves outward and then into the down position.

• Allow the urine to drain completely before closing the operating lever, moving it upward and in to the closed position.

• Repeat the hand sanitizing procedure.  It is crucially important to re-sanitize after handling urinary discharge container or having your hands over an open toilet receptacle.  Bacteria in bathrooms is airborne.  Failure to remove it from surface tissue of the hands directly transports bacteria onto whatever surface gets touched next.

Managing the Night Drainage Receptacle

• Change the leg receptacle over to a night drainage receptacle before you retire for the night.  Part of this procedure should be the nightly sanitizing of the leg receptacle with warm soapy water.  You may hang it to allow it to air dry for usage the next day.

• The night drainage receptacle is a larger size compared to the leg receptacle.  The night receptacle is designed to rest in a hanging position, attached to a bed frame or a chair backrest.  The night receptacle is a gravity-fed device.  It should be placed at a point lower than the bladder.

Deploying the Night Drainage Receptacle

• Sanitize your hands after you retire the leg receptacle for the night and hang it to air dry.

• Clean the discharge port with an alcohol swab and coat lightly with anti-biotic ointment.  Connect the catheter end removed from the leg receptacle.  Be sure to disinfect the catheter opening thoroughly before attaching it to the leg receptacle.

• Be sure to tape the catheter to your thigh with slack so that it doesn’t remove itself under tension from the night receptacle.

• Re-sanitize your hands.  Hang the night receptacle on the side of the bed frame or place it on the floor. Be sure it is lower than your bladder.

• In the morning, empty the night receptacle over the toilet.  Swab the top of the leg receptacle with alcohol.  Reconnect the catheter to the leg receptacle.

• Disinfect the night receptacle and hang it to dry.