Urine Drainage Catheter Bags

What is a urine drainage bag?

A urine drainage bag collects your urine (pee). It attaches to a urinary catheter, which is a thin tube that drains pee directly from your bladder. You may need a catheter and drainage bags after surgery or because of a medical condition that affects your ability to control when you pee.

You’ll need urine drainage bags for as long as you have a catheter. Urine drainage bags come in two different sizes: small bags and large bags.

You wear small bags (leg bags) under your clothes on your thigh or lower leg. They’re discreet and easier to hide beneath clothing. Leg bags should always be below your waist, so pee doesn’t flow backward. Elastic straps, tape or support garments keep it in place. People use leg bags during the day, so they can go about their normal activities. These bags need emptying every two to four hours.

Large bags (night bags) can hold more pee than a leg bag. A large bag is about double the size of a small bag, but the exact size difference varies. You can usually go about eight hours before needing to empty a large bag. Large bags are often on a stand next to your bed.

How does a drainage bag work?

Pee passes from your bladder through the catheter and then into the drainage bag. When the bag is 50% full, you empty it. A drainage bag is typically made of soft plastic. The leg bags may have a cloth backing, so the plastic doesn’t constantly rub against your skin. All bags have a tube at the top, which connects to the end of the catheter. The bottom of the bag has a valve or tap so you can empty your pee when the bag is full.

People typically use small bags during the day when they can empty them more often. At bedtime, you remove your leg bag and swap it for a night bag. The night bag is larger, so you can go all night without emptying it. The large bags don’t go under your clothes, but on a stand next to your bed. Your bag should always be lower to the ground than your hips so pee doesn’t drain back up into the catheter.

Emptying your drainage bag

You need to empty your drainage bag at regular intervals. Keep in mind that you’ll need to empty smaller bags several times per day. You only need to empty your night bag once in the morning. Here are the steps for emptying your leg bag:

• Empty your bag when it’s 50% full. Don’t wait until it’s full!
• Wash your hands with soap and water to help reduce the odds of contamination and infection. Try not to let the bag or openings touch any dirty surfaces like countertops or toilets.
• Keep the bag below your waist or hip when you empty it.
• You can either empty the bag directly into a toilet or into a plastic container your provider gives you.
• Drainage bags open in different ways: a drain spout that you remove from its sleeve, a clamp that you open to the side or an opening that you twist off. Whichever method you use, be sure not to touch the spout when you let the pee out of the bag.
• If possible, clean the spout with rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball or gauze.
• When the bag is empty, close the clamp or twist the cap on the bag.
• Attach the bag to your leg again. Don’t put it on the floor.
• Wash your hands with soap and water.

It’s a good idea to occasionally change your leg bag from one leg to the other. The best time to do this is when you wake up in the morning and swap your night bag for your day bag.

Cleaning your drainage bag

You need to clean your leg bag when you switch to your night bag each evening. At bedtime, take off your leg bag and clean it so it’s ready for the next day. The same goes for your night bag — clean it each morning when you wake up (before you put on your leg bag) so it’s ready for bedtime later.

When you clean your bags, follow these steps:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Disconnect the bag from the tubing.
3. Rinse out the bag with 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts cool water. Some people prefer to use a mixture of bleach and water.
4. Close the bag and shake the solution around in the bag. Soak the bag for 20 minutes.
5. Rinse the bag out with cool water and hang it up to dry (with the spout pointed down so water can drip out).
6. Clean your bags every day.

Changing your drainage bag

You’ll be changing bags twice each day: once in the morning and once at night. Here are the steps for changing your drainage bags:

1. Wash your hands and gather up your cleaning supplies. You’ll need a clean towel or a piece of gauze, alcohol pads and the bag you’re changing to.
2. Empty your pee from the drainage bag into the toilet so there isn’t any pee left in the bag. Remember, all bags are different but should have a spout or valve at the bottom.
3. Place a towel under the connection between the catheter and the bag to catch any pee that leaks.
4. Pinch off the catheter tube so that pee doesn’t leak out.
5. Disconnect the catheter tube from the current large drainage bag with a twisting motion. Keep pinching the soft rubber tube (the catheter tube) so that pee doesn’t leak out.
6. Be careful not to pull on the catheter. Place the used drainage bag on the towel.
7. Clean the end of the tube with an alcohol pad or a cotton ball containing rubbing alcohol.
8. Clean the opening (connector part) of the new bag with a second alcohol pad or cotton ball.
9. Insert the tube into the connector of the new bag.
10. Check for kinks or twists in the catheter tubing.
11. Wash your hands.

How often should they be changed?

You need to empty a leg bag every two to four hours during the day. But you should be able to go about two weeks before needing to change your bag entirely. Some people say the bag starts to look dirty or smell when it’s time to change bags. If your bag leaks or clogs, you need to change it right away.

How do you keep it from smelling?

Daily cleaning, changing and proper care of your bag goes a long way. You should always use clean hands when touching your catheter and bag. Be careful not to set your drainage bag down on unsanitary surfaces. If your bag or catheter begins to smell despite carefully following all the instructions your provider gives you, contact them to let them know. It could mean that you have an infection.

Caring for your drainage bag

Properly caring for your drainage bag can reduce your risk of infection. Make sure you follow your healthcare provider’s instructions on how to empty and clean your bag. Additionally, follow these tips:

• Don’t pull or tug on the catheter tubing.
• Don’t step on the tubing when you’re walking. Hold the tubing in your hand, with the urine bag below your bladder when you’re walking. You may also want to clip or pin the tubing to your clothing.
• There should be some slack on your catheter, so it doesn’t pull or put pressure on your urethra or bladder. But it shouldn’t be so loose that you trip over it or it twists.
• Arrange the catheter tubing so that it doesn’t twist or loop. When you’re getting into bed, hang the urine bag beside the bed. You can sleep in any position as long as the bedside bag is below your bladder. Don’t place the bag on the floor.
• If you dislodge the catheter, it’ll leak or stop draining. Call your healthcare provider if this happens.
• Check the catheter and drainage tube on a regular basis for tangles or kinks.
• Don’t fasten the straps on your leg bag too tightly, as that may interfere with your circulation.

Can I shower with a catheter night bag?

Yes, you can still shower with a urine drainage bag. When you take a shower, you can keep the larger drainage bag in place and hang it on a rail in your shower. Showering with a leg bag usually isn’t ideal since most come with a soft backing that can get wet and chafe your skin. If possible, shower in the morning before changing from your night bag to your day bag.

Many bags come with a plug that you can use at the point where the catheter connects to the bag. This is an extra precaution to protect the catheter from water damage. When you’re done showering, remove the plug. It’s important to put a cap on the end of the drainage bag tubing, so it doesn’t become contaminated.

When should you contact your healthcare provider?

Contact your healthcare provider if you have:

• Cloudy, foul-smelling pee
• Red or pink pee
• Burning sensation when you pee
• A fever greater than 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius)
• Pain in your urethra, bladder or lower back
• Swelling, draining or redness in your urethra

These could all be signs of a urinary tract infection (UTI).

You should also contact your provider if it’s been more than six to eight hours since you saw pee drain into the bag or if your catheter is leaking.

What is the difference between a Foley bag and a leg bag?

They’re essentially the same thing. Someone may refer to the drainage bag as a Foley catheter bag. Foley catheter is the name for the entire urine drainage device — the catheter (thin tube), drainage port and bag.

How do you sleep with a leg urine bag?

You shouldn’t sleep with a leg drainage bag. Leg bags are meant for daytime use (when you can monitor the fullness of the bag). If you lie down, nap or sleep with one, it could overflow or back up into your bladder.

What is the disadvantage of a leg bag?

One of the biggest advantages of a leg bag is that it’s small, so you can hide it under clothing. But a disadvantage is that it doesn’t hold as much pee as a larger night bag. You have to change it more frequently. This can be a hassle, but most people would rather have the independence to move freely with their leg bag hidden than have a large bag that isn’t as discreet.

Another disadvantage is that some people find leg bags to be uncomfortable. Most come with elastic straps, which can irritate or chafe your skin, especially when the bag is full.

Can you lie down with a leg bag?

You shouldn’t lie down for longer than an hour with a leg bag. Lying down with one can affect how pee drains. If you need to lie down, make sure the bag is below your waist.