[Apparelyzed]

Hi,

I have had an S.P. catheter for 13 years now, and have found the following.

The catheter wound will take a few months before it is properly healed, and even then, you may get the odd bit of bleeding now and again.

The wound should be cleaned daily with warm water, and done gently so as not to make it bleed. Then, once it is dry, a dressing called a MePore dressing should be applied to protect it (see picture below). These dressings are self adhesive, and a vertical line will need to be cut to the centre of the dressing so the catheter can be place in the centre of the pad.

If you think the wound site is becoming infected, you can spray some antiseptic on it to get rid of the infection, but if it doesn't heal after a week, I go to the doctors to get some antibiotics to clear it up.

Here are a few other tips to consider about the care of the catheter.

Debris

Debris can collect in the bladder and clog the end of the catheter. The best way to stop debris collecting is to drink plenty of fluids every day to keep your bladder flushed out.

Debris can also be connected to a change in diet. Some foods such as dairy products and foods high in calcium can cause an increase in debris, and can cause the tip of the catheter to become encrusted, leading to an eventual blockage.

For males with white stringey debris in their catheter, this may be seamen from retro-ejaculation. This can happen at anytime when the  ejaculate, rather than going down the uretha, goes back into the bladder. As long as you are drinking plenty of fluids, it should just get flushed out of your bladder.

If the debris is cloudy, on a regular basis, it may be possible that a mild bladder infection may be present. This can be cleared by drinking large amounts of cranberry juice (about 1ltr per day) over a several day period. If you feel the infection is developing and you spike a temperature, antibiotics may be needed.

Blood in the urine from someone with an S.P catheter, usually means the catheter has been tugged, causing bleeding around the catheter site. Sometimes if there is blood on a regular basis, a cystoscopy may be needed to check the bladder for stones and tumors. Blood in the urine can also be a sign of passing a kidney stone, and this maybe accompanied with an increase in spasticity and backache.

Odour

An odour coming from a catheter can be either hygene related or diet related. In some cases if the balloon of the catheter isn't properly inflated, urine can leak causing an odour, or a localised infection of the catheter site can also cause an odour.

For odours related to diet, keep a list of foods and drinks consumed, and keep a record of when the catheter starts to smell.

Before starting records, have a shower, and change the catheter. That way you have a base standard to work from.

Some dietry foods and drinks which can cause a catheter to smell are:

Garlic, spicy foods, baked beans, beer, coffee, asparagus.

These are foods that I have problems with, but everyone is different, so you will probably find more.

Regards

Simon

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[quadthumb]

i have a supra pupic cath. i use a tracheotomy gauze. it has a slit so it goes around the tube. i clean it twice a day and sometimes it bleeds. sometimes i get this growth called hyper granulation. you can put something called kenolog cream whicvh is a stereroid that kills the skin growth. you use very very little and dont use everyday. you should also switch which leg you put your leg bag on so you dont open the stoma wider on one side. well just a lil info, hope it helps.

[russ1]

I generally dont use a dressing on my Supra Pubic at all - occasionally when super granulation occurs and it's being treated I do but otherwise don't find it necessary now although you'll need one for the first few months at least as the wound stabilises (I'm led to believe that it never actually heals as such and that if the cath is removed for a period the hole will seal up and only then actually heal). I tend to give the area a wipe with a wet wipe morning and night which is enough to wipe away any small amounts of gunk that accumulates.