Long term catheters

[Guest]

Hi all,

I was just wondering if anyone can give me advice on the use of long term catheters.

My husband Richard is in hospital at the moment since the 7th March. He has been on a catheter since he has been in dealing with the problem of kidney stones and slight chest infection. He is medically fit to discharge now and we are just waiting for a care package to be put in place to help us both. Also waiting for a suction machine for home as he needs this to now stop him getting pneumonia.

He can not use a bottle in bed as he has no use of left side so cannot hold it, also needs to be sitting at least to be able to pee normally and strength is not as it was. He can no longer move himself in bed so getting up and down to the commode will be hard.
Is a long term catheter going to give him any extra problems or will it just allow him to feel comfortable that way not having to use energy to get up and down.

Best wishes Amanda

[mickmac]

Hi Amanda

There are people that have a catheter in place for a long time with out it causing any problems. As long as you're kept clean and you check the Urine for infection it can work. The catheter should be changed every few months and this should be done by a nurse in the community.
Personally I had one in last year and it was a disaster for me. I twist and turn in the bed and as a result I have to get it removed as it blocked up and became loose.
A fair few people on this forum recommend having a supra pubic catheter put in place instead and I am waiting to get one done. In this catheter a small incision is made down below the stomach and the tube from the catheter goes directly into the bladder. It seems to cause less problems in the long run.

Mick.

[Ellie]

Hi Amanda,

Mick gave info on catheters but I'll just add - if Richard only wanted a night time solution, there are condom catheters too. Both suprapubic and urinary catheters have an increased risk of UTIs but these cons may outweigh the pros of having one in the first place.

As well as a suction machine, ask for a Cough Assist machine to help keep R's lungs as healthy as possible. If they say "he doesn't need one yet", ask for an LVR Bag (aka modified Ambubag) which the Physiotherapist will show him how to use. It's for breath stacking and helps keep lungs healthy and clear for those of us with a weak cough.

Hope he gets home soon.

Love Ellie.

[mickmac]

Thanks Ellie I forgot about the condom catheters. I tried them myself but found them prone to leaking. But they would definitely be worth a try since they are non invasive.

Mick.

[Guest]

Thanks Mick and Ellie for advice,

Richard seems to want to keep a catheter due to his problems using a bottle. I was just concerned as you say Mick about having possibilities for further infections. He has become much weaker since the kidney and chest infection that I worry any further infection would be very hard on him.
I hope he wouldn't have a problem with getting blocked or loose like you Mick, he does sleep on his back and cant really move too much anyway, so hopefully this wouldn't be a problem for him.

Thanks Ellie for advice on cough assist machine, I will ask about that, we have a LVR bag but he hasn't wanted to use it as yet, will need to revisit this I think. Things have moved on so much for the worst in the last weeks I just hope that this slows down again and we can get on an even keel again,

Love Amanda

[Ellie]

Sorry that Richard has been so poorly Amanda, episodes like his infections can unfortunately speed up progression during this period. Hopefully things will stabilise once he is home and back to his "normal" routine.

Look after yourself - hope you're eating well and sleeping and that you've good friends & support.

Big hug,

Love Ellie.

[shrew]

so sorry Richards been unwell Amanda. Hope he recovers soon x

[Kayleigh]

Hi Amanda,
I hope Richard is feeling better today and that he will be with you at home very soon.
Love to you both,
Kayleigh x