Question

patients with urinary catheters should be instructed to do which of the following?

• wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching the catheter
• avoid kinks or twists in the tubing
• pull on the tubing daily to ensure its stability
• ensure the urine collection bag is above the level of the bladder

Explanation:

• For "Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching the catheter": Handwashing before (not after) touching the catheter is more critical to prevent infection; so this is incorrect.
• For "Avoid kinks or twists in the tubing": Kinks/twists in catheter tubing can obstruct urine flow, leading to complications like urinary retention or infection, so this is a correct instruction.
• For "Pull on the tubing daily to ensure its stability": Pulling on the tubing can dislodge the catheter or cause trauma, so this is incorrect.
• For "Ensure the urine collection bag is above the level of the bladder": The urine bag should be below the bladder level to prevent backflow of urine (which causes infection), so this is incorrect.

Answer:

B. Avoid kinks or twists in the tubing