Indwelling Urinary Catheter Care Procedure SOP

Step-by-step procedure for cleaning, securing, monitoring, and maintaining an indwelling urinary catheter at home to reduce infection risk and support safe drainage.

Steps

• Verify the care plan and gather supplies
  The caregiver verifies the provider-approved catheter care plan, confirms any patient-specific restrictions, and gathers all supplies before touching the catheter or drainage system.
• Perform hand hygiene and don gloves
  The caregiver performs hand hygiene thoroughly, then puts on clean disposable gloves before handling the catheter, tubing, or perineal area.
• Inspect the catheter and drainage system
  The caregiver verifies that the catheter tubing is not kinked, the drainage bag is below bladder level, the securement device is attached, and the system is closed and intact. The caregiver records any deviation such as leakage, pain, odor, blood, or no urine output.
• Clean the perineal area and catheter
  The caregiver cleans the perineal area using gentle, front-to-back technique and cleans the catheter from the insertion site outward. The caregiver uses a clean area of the cloth or a new wipe for each pass, then pats the area dry.
• Secure the catheter and position the drainage bag
  The caregiver confirms the catheter is secured to the thigh or abdomen according to the care plan, leaves slack to prevent pulling, and positions the drainage bag below bladder level without touching the floor.
• Monitor urine output and warning signs
  The caregiver checks urine color, clarity, odor, and flow, and asks whether the patient has pain, fever, bladder pressure, leakage, or discomfort.
• Dispose of waste and complete hand hygiene
  The caregiver removes gloves, disposes of used wipes and waste according to household instructions, and performs hand hygiene after completing care.
• Escalate deviations to a competent clinician
  The caregiver stops routine care and contacts the nurse, provider, or designated escalation contact per the care plan. The caregiver documents the observed deviation, time of onset, and any actions already taken.