Caring for a nephrostomy at home
nephrostomy · tube from the kidney · nephrostomy care · urine bag · nephrostomy drain
A nephrostomy is a thin tube from the kidney through the skin of your back that drains urine into a bag. At home you look after it every day.
When something blocks urine from leaving the kidney - a stone, a narrowing or a tumor - and the doctor has placed a tube.
⏱ Duration: care usually takes 10 to 15 minutes; the dressing is usually changed every 2 to 3 days or more often, as your doctor says
Be sure to tell your doctor
How to prepare
- Training. Before discharge, ask the nurse to show you how to change the dressing and bag.
- Supplies. Keep bags, sterile gauze, tape and antiseptic at home.
- Bag. The bag must always be below the kidney - this keeps urine from flowing back.
- Water. Your doctor will tell you how much to drink. Usually you are advised to drink enough.
What to bring
- A stock of urine bags and dressings
- The discharge summary and the urology contacts
- Notes of how much urine you pass
How it goes
- Wash your hands and put on gloves
- Take off the old dressing without pulling the tube
- Look at the skin around it for redness or discharge
- Clean the skin with antiseptic as you were taught
- Put on a clean dressing and tape the tube
- Check that the tube is not bent
- Empty the bag when it is half full
What you'll feel
- Sometimes an aching feeling in your side
- The tube gets in the way of sleeping on that side - you get used to it over time
Afterwards
- Write down the urine amount if your doctor asked
- You can usually shower with the dressing protected - no baths; ask your doctor
- The tube is replaced at the hospital on a schedule
- Do not lift heavy things or pull on the tube
Contact a doctor straight away if
- The tube came out - cover the spot with a clean gauze and go to the hospital right away, because the opening closes quickly
- Urine stopped coming and you have severe pain in your side - see a doctor urgently
- Fever or chills - see a doctor urgently, and if you feel very weak, call your local emergency number
- A lot of blood or clots in the bag
Common questions
Can I sleep on my side with a nephrostomy?
Yes, if the tube is not squeezed. It is easier to sleep on your back or on the other side.
What if urine leaks around the tube?
Change the dressing and tell your doctor - the tube may have moved or be blocked.