Condom Catheters

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Jason's Dream

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Anyone have any experience with Condom Catheters? This is my first day trying them out and I am not sure they are going to work.

There is not alot of room at the tip and any pressure of liquid is liable to blow the condom off and be a complete mess. The tape strip I think is a joke. They did recommending shaving around that area to help with it sticking and all. I did that after the first blow out with this thing,and put a new one on. And now its blown off again.

What am I doing wrong? Or are these things just a pain in the butt and aren't worth it?

TIA.

~ Becca
 
there are different brands..... the penis should be semi erect when putting it on (at least with coloplast brand) otherwise it can leak. It goes on like a condom. the first ones we tried were too damn technical...so we went with the coloplasts. Make sure nothing is twisted, and bed bags are better than legs bags when protecting from uti.

These are well worth learning how to use.
 
are you using the bioderm brand? My husband found those hard to use.
 
Coloplast and Rochester seemed to be the most reliable brands that I researched.
Coloplast Clear Advantage work well for me. I've not tried the Rochester yet.
If you contact each company directly, they will send you free samples.
Make sure where the tubing going into the top of the leg bag doesn't kink either... I've had that happen a couple times with some close calls.

Brian
 
Hon--is it possible you can get someone to come out and help you with their proper use? I think you're trying to do all Jason's care on your own, right?

They will help--once used properly--keeping him dry and more comfortable for one thing. There is risk from just letting him 'go' and cleaning up afterward.

I've also worked with people that seemed to prefer to just position a urinal the majority of the time--though it can and often does cause accidental spills.

The condom caths have the advantage of not causing as many UTIs as internal caths can cause.
 
We are using the urinal exclusively so far. I know this is harder for you because you are chasing little ones and can't always stop everything you are doing to take care of it. We have a CNA that comes and helps in the morning. She showed me how to use the condom cath, so I'm ready when the time comes. I would prefer not to have to do anything invasive if possible.
 
We too are toying with the idea of the condom catheters as we have had a couple of accidents lately. We are putting it off as long as possible as we have been told that there is a higher risk of infection. Since Eric is still struggling with trach infections, we don't want to add more to the risk part. I believe eventually we will have to go to them as the nurses who come are not that responsive to his communication. I know when he used them at the hospital they used some type of liquid that they put on with a large cotton tip applicator that was sort of a sanitizer like Betadine to help them stay on better. They did slip off more frequently than I would have liked but he was able to move his legs still a bit on his own at that time. They would probably stay on better now that he pretty much stays where you put him. I know one problem that had was that because he was tall, they tried to use a fairly large size. We finally went down to the smallest size and they pretty much stayed on. Not to be graphic but with ALS, it is not like most of the time it is growing, lol. So a smaller size might be in order.
 
The Coloplast external condom catheters don't just "slip off" and they are very simple to use. As far as infection goes, the bed bags drain better. The leg bags don't hold much and the tube is shorter so urine can hang around. Have your PALS drink cranberry juice if possible which is a preventative measure against a UTI that has worked for us. Keep basic hygene in mind...take the cap off, clean the area with antibacterial soap or antiseptic and allow some time before putting the next one on. As a caregiver, I've found it much easier and when we leave the house, no issues if i forgot the urinal LOL.
 
Ugh. Hang in there. I don't have any experience with these but I have learned something when trying something new. We have a busy house with little ones too. First, go over in your head how you are doing something, consider how you are doing something then how you can do it better, get some advice (as you are doing) from people with experience. Then imagine how you will do the task step by step. Then when the "world" is quiet (WHEN?!) get down to it with careful and deliberate determination. I will say, part of the battle (when you have little ones) is being able to think thru problems ahead of time and the luxury of time to do the task slowly until you are good at it. The frustration of something not working (when it should) is maddening. Dont give up, take a deep breathe and give it time. Good luck!
 
I use Coloplast Freedom Clear Advantage as well as Rochester Medical. These self-adhere so no strip is required (that's old technology). They work fairly well. Any backing up of urine starts loosening the adhesive...so keep twists out and make sure the bag is not obstructing inflow. If not properly installed or penile retraction is too much, the adhesive can partially or fully glue shut causing blow-off.

There is a learning curve. Proper installation is a must. They should be changed daily, but I usually go two days. They may not work for everyone depending on anatomy.
 
the penis does not need to be semi- erect.
when you first place it on the tip, make sure HIS hole is lined up with the hole in the condom. this helps with the blowouts.
also, what we do, is i pull on the penis before i put it on- not making it erect, but just helping him "come out" a little.
once you unroll it, yes, make sure no hairs are stuck in there. trimming is a must. also, and this helps alot- sort of roll
the penis in your hands back and forth, or just give it a good couple of squeezes to make sure that there arent any air bubbles in it, and there is direct condom to skin contact.
also, make sure the size is correct. if it continues to come off, you may need a smaller size.
oh- and make sure the penis is CLEAN and DRY when putting one on. even when you replace one that came off, wash and dry before applying the new one.
good luck and i hope this helps
 
I also recommend the Coloplast Freedom Clear Advantage brand. Additionally, you may want to invest in some protective barrier film spray to help cover and protect minor skin breaks and irritations. One brand is called Cavilon (by 3M), but there are less expensive ones that work just as well.

Barring transfer or positioning mishaps, I get two, sometimes three days use from one.

(note to CALS: he'd rather have it fall off naturally on its own than having you yanking and pulling or -- horrors! -- sticking thin objects under the rim of a CC that likes him so much it won't unstick itself on your schedule. Then you will have an urgent need for the expensive Cavilon spray I recommended above -- it's a no-sting formula and the cheaper ones aren't)

Once you work out ways to do transfers without twisting or pulling on the line, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. Caregivers are ever so much more pleasant when they get a full night's sleep. ;)

Also, some hospices will provide them for you. I even got my hospice to provide me with Clear Advantages instead of the latex Coloplasts they normally provide -- see contact dermatitis (another reason for the barrier film spray).
 
beware that latex allergies develop with exposure--that's why most places use non-latex gloves now. If you're using latex--watch for signs of allergy.
 
(note to CALS: he'd rather have it fall off naturally on its own than having you yanking and pulling or -- horrors! -- sticking thin objects under the rim of a CC that likes him so much it won't unstick itself on your schedule. Then you will have an urgent need for the expensive Cavilon spray I recommended above -- it's a no-sting formula and the cheaper ones aren't)

One trick to get off a particular friendly one is to use a fairly warm washcloth around it for around a minute. The folks at Coloplast also said taking it off after/during a shower can help.
 
Does anyone have any tricks/suggestions on making it easier to attach the tubing to the catheter, and likewise the tubing to the leg bag? The only trick I've come across before (from the Coloplast folks) is to use a little rubbing alcohol... but that is not making it easy enough for my wife to put these things together.

Thanks for any thoughts.
 
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