Catheterisation and hygiene, what do I need to know?
Curan catheters come in sterile packaging. You don’t need to wear gloves when catheterising but we would recommend you follow a number of important instructions in the interest of hygiene. First of all, it’s important that you take a few simple steps. While our catheters have been developed to guarantee hygiene, but the right preparation is an essential part of the catheterisation process. We strongly advise you maintain a certain level of fluid intake.
How can I prevent urinary tract infections?
It’s important that you drink enough daily. We’d advise at least two litres a day. The first few days you are catheterising, you need to pay extra attention to your fluid intake. This will considerably reduce the chance of urinary tract (and bladder) infections.
Good hygiene during catheterisation is beneficial to your health. We differentiate between men’s and women’s procedures.
Female hygiene
Follow these steps during catheterisation:
- Wash your hands.
- Wash your pubic area with plenty of water. If there is no water available, you can use moist toilet wipes.
- First of all clean your labia and then the area around your urethra. Make sure that you always wipe from front to back.
- Let your urine flow into the toilet. When removing the catheter, hold the exit closed with your fingers to prevent dripping or spraying.
- Throw the used catheter into a bin or pack it away in a plastic bag if there is no bin around. Wash your hands again.
We have described this process in greater detail and demonstrated it in an instruction video as well.
Male hygiene
Follow these steps during catheterisation:
- Wash your hands.
- If you have a foreskin, pull it back and wash the top of your penis where your urethra is with water, If there is no water available, you can use moist toilet wipes.
- Let your urine flow into the toilet. When removing the catheter, hold the exit closed with your fingers to prevent dripping or spraying.
- Throw the used catheter into a bin or pack it away in a plastic bag if there is no bin around. Wash your hands again.
We have described this process in greater detail and demonstrated it in an instruction video as well.