Foley catheters are a solution for helping urine drain from the bladder. However, this pathway may become blocked, requiring irrigation to help restore normal urinary flow. Foley catheter irrigation kits contain all tools and components for performing this process.
About Foley Catheter Irrigation Kits
Foley catheters assist patients experiencing interruptions with their urine stream. This may be as a result of an existing obstruction, nerve damage, challenges with making it to the bathroom or a lower urinary output. In select cases, a foley catheter is inserted following surgery for temporary use.
In all of these scenarios, this indwelling catheter is inserted through the urethra. A balloon, filled with sterile water, helps it remain in place to encourage and facilitate a normal urinary flow. When everything is clear, the urine flows from the bladder through the tube into a bag at the end of the catheter. The patient then empties this bag once it fills to capacity or as needed.
The tube passing through the urethra may become blocked or patients may notice the urine flowing in a narrower stream or at a slower pace. These signs can indicate debris closing off the tube, including anything from a mucous plug to a blood clot. Ignoring this issue may cause urine to accumulate in the kidneys, leading to an infection.
To perform irrigation, a Foley catheter kit includes a combination of the following components:
• A 60mL catheter syringe, used to inject a normal saline (NS) solution. Standard tap water should not be used to perform catheter irrigation.
• A collection container
• Drainage tray
• Plug
• Drape
• Alcohol pads
• NS solution
With these parts, the patient or caregiver will inject the NS solution into the catheter tube. They will repeat this step until urine emerges from the catheter tube at a normal rate. Should repeat irrigation not restore urine flow, patients should seek medical attention.
Foley catheters should only be inserted if you have received instruction from a medical professional. For performing irrigation, find kits from C.R. Bard, Dynarex, Cardinal Health and other manufacturers.
