This guide is general information for families, not medical advice. Follow any instructions from the patient’s doctor or nurse, and from the maker of the catheter and bag.
Key facts
- Keep the urine bag below the level of the bladder at all times, so urine cannot flow back.
- Empty the bag when it is about half to three-quarters full.
- NHS guidance is to change leg bags and valves every 7 days, or as the nurse or the bag’s maker advises.
- Pain low in the tummy, a high temperature, shivering or new confusion can be signs of a urine infection; contact the doctor or nurse.
What does Foley catheter mean in Urdu?
Foley catheter is written فولی کیتھیٹر in Urdu. When discussing a catheter, families may say پیشاب کی نالی (peshab ki nali) for the tube draining urine into a bag. It is a medical device, separate from the body’s own urinary passage.
Who should insert or replace a urinary catheter?
If you are looking for “peshab ki nali lagane ka tarika”, ask a trained nurse or doctor to assess the patient and explain the procedure. Foley catheter insertion or replacement is different from looking after an existing urine bag. It requires suitable clinical training and infection-control precautions; this guide does not provide insertion steps. The catheter service guide explains the clinical order, nurse skills and visit preparation.
Everyday care
- Wash your hands before and after touching the catheter, the tube or the bag.
- Wash the skin where the catheter enters the body with mild soap and water every day.
- Keep the bag below the level of the bladder at all times, including when the patient is lying down or being moved, so urine cannot flow back.
- Keep the tubing free of kinks and loops, and do not let the bag or its tap touch the floor.
- Unless the doctor has limited the patient’s fluids, encourage enough drinks to keep the urine a pale colour. It helps prevent infection and blockage.
- Help avoid constipation with fluids and high-fibre food, because constipation can press on the catheter and stop it draining.
Emptying and changing the bag
- Empty the bag before it is completely full, when it is about half to three-quarters full, into the toilet through the tap at the bottom.
- At night, a larger night bag is usually connected to the leg bag or the catheter valve.
- Change the bag as the nurse or the bag’s maker advises. NHS guidance is to change leg bags and valves every 7 days.
- If the doctor asked you to measure how much urine the patient passes, write down the amount each time you empty the bag.
If the bag is not filling
Check that the tube is not kinked or trapped under the patient and that the bag is below the bladder. If urine still does not drain, get medical advice as soon as possible, because the catheter may be blocked.
When to get medical advice
Contact the doctor or nurse if the patient has pain low in the tummy or around the groin, a high temperature, shivering or new confusion, because these can be signs of a urine infection. Get medical advice as soon as possible if urine leaks around the catheter, there is blood or debris in the tube, or the patient passes large clots. If the patient is very unwell or hard to wake, call Rescue 1122.
How a nurse can help
On a urine bag care visit, a Registered Nurse checks the bag, the catheter tubing and the urine flow, empties or changes the bag when needed, shows the family how to position it and flags any leakage, blockage or signs of infection. Inserting or replacing a catheter is a separate urinary catheter visit that needs a doctor’s order. Nurse at Home is preparing to launch and is not taking bookings yet.