240 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
HOW TO PUT IN A CATHETER
1. Boil the
catheter (and
any syringe
or instrument
you may be
using) for
15 minutes.
2. Wash well under foreskin or between
vaginal lips and surrounding areas.
6. Cover the catheter
with a sterile lubricant
(slippery cream) like
K-Y Jelly that dissolves
in water (not oil or
Vaseline).
7. Pull back foreskin or open the vaginal lips.
and wipe the
urine opening
with a sterile
cotton wetted
with soap.
3. Wash hands—if possible with
surgical soap
(like Betadine).
After washing,
touch only things
that are sterile or
very clean.
8. Holding the foreskin back or the lips open,
gently put the catheter into the urine hole.
Twist it as necessary but DO NOT FORCE IT.
4. Put very clean cloths
under and around the area.
5. Put on sterile gloves
or rub hands well with
alcohol or surgical soap.
Hold the penis straight
at this angle.
9. Push the catheter
in until urine starts
coming out. For a
man, then push it
in 3 cm. more.
Note: A
woman’s
urinary tube is
much shorter
than a man’s.
Important: If the person shows signs of
urine poisoning, or if the bladder has been
over-full and stretched, do not let the urine
come out all at once: instead, let it out very
slowly (by pinching or plugging the catheter),
little by little over an hour or 2.
Sometimes a woman cannot urinate after giving birth. If more than 6 hours pass and
her bladder seems full, she may need a catheter put in. If her bladder does not feel full,
do not use a catheter but have her drink lots of water.
For more information on catheter use, see Disabled Village Children, Chapter 25.