Discharge Instructions: Biliary Catheter

You are going home with a biliary catheter in place. This is a small, flexible tube placed into the common bile duct. It is used when this duct becomes blocked. The catheter allows a fluid (bile) to flow from the gallbladder and liver to the small intestine. The catheter may drain the bile inside your body or drain the bile into a bag outside your body. Your provider will talk with you about how long the biliary catheter will need to be in place. This sheet gives you general guidelines on caring for your catheter.

General guidelines

If you have an outside catheter:

• Be sure to empty your catheter bag before it is completely full.
• Do not go swimming, take baths or soak in a hot tub.
• Shower as needed, but keep the tube and the area around it dry. Ask your healthcare provider about the best way to do this.
• Change your dressing (split gauze sponges, gauze, and tape) every 3 days. Change it more often if it becomes wet, dirty or loose.

Changing the dressing

Here are general guidelines for changing the dressing. 

Gather your supplies:

• Drainage bag
• Nonstick gauze pads
• Clear, waterproof bandages
• Scissors
• Split gauze sponges
• 4-inch-by-4-inch gauze pads
• Tape
• Connecting tube and drainage bag, if needed
• Plastic bag to dispose of supplies 

Removing the old dressing

• Wash your hands well using mild soap and warm water.
• Remove the old dressing. Be careful not to pull on the drainage catheter. Keep the plastic ring against the skin.
• Check the skin around the catheter. Look for any unusual redness, soreness or drainage.
• Wash your hands well again. Use soap and warm water.

Applying the dressing

• Cut a round piece of nonstick gauze pad, slightly larger than the plastic ring. Cut a slit in the nonstick gauze pad so that it will fit around the catheter.
• Place the nonstick gauze pad under the blue disk.
• Fold a new clear, waterproof bandage in half. Cut a hole in the center. The hole should be about the size of the nipple on the plastic ring.
• Put the catheter through this hole. Apply the clear, waterproof bandage to your skin. If the catheter is attached to a drainage bag, you must first disconnect the bag. Then, slip the catheter through the clear, waterproof bandage.
• Place 2 split gauze sponges around the catheter.
• Fold a 4-by-4-inch gauze pad on each side of the catheter. You should be able to curl the catheter once without twisting (kinking) it. The catheter should rest on the gauze and not on your skin.
• Cover the catheter with a 4-by-4-inch gauze pad. Use tape to hold the dressing in place.
• Put a piece of tape below the dressing to hold the catheter. This will protect the catheter from being pulled.
• You should have an extra drainage bag on hand in case one leaks or is damaged.

Flushing the catheter

• Always wash your hands well before working with your catheter.
• Open the cap and wipe it clean with alcohol. Take a syringe that is prefilled with normal saline, twist the cap off, and remove any air by holding the opening upright and slowly pushing the plunger. Attach the syringe to the catheter by turning it clockwise onto the catheter’s injection port. (Your provider will tell you what size syringes and how much normal saline to use.)
• Push the plunger of the syringe slowly and evenly.
• The saline should infuse easily into the catheter. If you meet resistance, stop and call your home healthcare nurse or doctor.
• Twist off the syringe from the catheter, and throw the syringe in the trash.

Follow-up

• Follow up with your healthcare provider, or as advised.
• Keep all follow-up appointments. Your provider will need to check your tube once a month. Your provider will change it every 8 to 12 weeks. 

Discharge Instructions: Biliary Catheter

You are going home with a biliary catheter in place. This is a small, flexible tube placed into the common bile duct. It is used when this duct becomes blocked. The catheter allows a fluid (bile) to flow from the gallbladder and liver to the small intestine. The catheter may drain the bile inside your body or drain the bile into a bag outside your body. Your provider will talk with you about how long the biliary catheter will need to be in place. This sheet gives you general guidelines on caring for your catheter.

General guidelines

If you have an outside catheter:

• Be sure to empty your catheter bag before it is completely full.
• Do not go swimming, take baths or soak in a hot tub.
• Shower as needed, but keep the tube and the area around it dry. Ask your healthcare provider about the best way to do this.
• Change your dressing (split gauze sponges, gauze, and tape) every 3 days. Change it more often if it becomes wet, dirty or loose.

Changing the dressing

Here are general guidelines for changing the dressing. 

Gather your supplies:

• Drainage bag
• Nonstick gauze pads
• Clear, waterproof bandages
• Scissors
• Split gauze sponges
• 4-inch-by-4-inch gauze pads
• Tape
• Connecting tube and drainage bag, if needed
• Plastic bag to dispose of supplies 

Removing the old dressing

• Wash your hands well using mild soap and warm water.
• Remove the old dressing. Be careful not to pull on the drainage catheter. Keep the plastic ring against the skin.
• Check the skin around the catheter. Look for any unusual redness, soreness or drainage.
• Wash your hands well again. Use soap and warm water.

Applying the dressing

• Cut a round piece of nonstick gauze pad, slightly larger than the plastic ring. Cut a slit in the nonstick gauze pad so that it will fit around the catheter.
• Place the nonstick gauze pad under the blue disk.
• Fold a new clear, waterproof bandage in half. Cut a hole in the center. The hole should be about the size of the nipple on the plastic ring.
• Put the catheter through this hole. Apply the clear, waterproof bandage to your skin. If the catheter is attached to a drainage bag, you must first disconnect the bag. Then, slip the catheter through the clear, waterproof bandage.
• Place 2 split gauze sponges around the catheter.
• Fold a 4-by-4-inch gauze pad on each side of the catheter. You should be able to curl the catheter once without twisting (kinking) it. The catheter should rest on the gauze and not on your skin.
• Cover the catheter with a 4-by-4-inch gauze pad. Use tape to hold the dressing in place.
• Put a piece of tape below the dressing to hold the catheter. This will protect the catheter from being pulled.
• You should have an extra drainage bag on hand in case one leaks or is damaged.

Flushing the catheter

• Always wash your hands well before working with your catheter.
• Open the cap and wipe it clean with alcohol. Take a syringe that is prefilled with normal saline, twist the cap off, and remove any air by holding the opening upright and slowly pushing the plunger. Attach the syringe to the catheter by turning it clockwise onto the catheter’s injection port. (Your provider will tell you what size syringes and how much normal saline to use.)
• Push the plunger of the syringe slowly and evenly.
• The saline should infuse easily into the catheter. If you meet resistance, stop and call your home healthcare nurse or doctor.
• Twist off the syringe from the catheter, and throw the syringe in the trash.

Follow-up

• Follow up with your healthcare provider, or as advised.
• Keep all follow-up appointments. Your provider will need to check your tube once a month. Your provider will change it every 8 to 12 weeks. 

Discharge Instructions: Biliary Catheter

You are going home with a biliary catheter in place. This is a small, flexible tube placed into the common bile duct. It is used when this duct becomes blocked. The catheter allows a fluid (bile) to flow from the gallbladder and liver to the small intestine. The catheter may drain the bile inside your body or drain the bile into a bag outside your body. Your provider will talk with you about how long the biliary catheter will need to be in place. This sheet gives you general guidelines on caring for your catheter.

General guidelines

If you have an outside catheter:

• Be sure to empty your catheter bag before it is completely full.
• Do not go swimming, take baths or soak in a hot tub.
• Shower as needed, but keep the tube and the area around it dry. Ask your healthcare provider about the best way to do this.
• Change your dressing (split gauze sponges, gauze, and tape) every 3 days. Change it more often if it becomes wet, dirty or loose.

Changing the dressing

Here are general guidelines for changing the dressing. 

Gather your supplies:

• Drainage bag
• Nonstick gauze pads
• Clear, waterproof bandages
• Scissors
• Split gauze sponges
• 4-inch-by-4-inch gauze pads
• Tape
• Connecting tube and drainage bag, if needed
• Plastic bag to dispose of supplies 

Removing the old dressing

• Wash your hands well using mild soap and warm water.
• Remove the old dressing. Be careful not to pull on the drainage catheter. Keep the plastic ring against the skin.
• Check the skin around the catheter. Look for any unusual redness, soreness or drainage.
• Wash your hands well again. Use soap and warm water.

Applying the dressing

• Cut a round piece of nonstick gauze pad, slightly larger than the plastic ring. Cut a slit in the nonstick gauze pad so that it will fit around the catheter.
• Place the nonstick gauze pad under the blue disk.
• Fold a new clear, waterproof bandage in half. Cut a hole in the center. The hole should be about the size of the nipple on the plastic ring.
• Put the catheter through this hole. Apply the clear, waterproof bandage to your skin. If the catheter is attached to a drainage bag, you must first disconnect the bag. Then, slip the catheter through the clear, waterproof bandage.
• Place 2 split gauze sponges around the catheter.
• Fold a 4-by-4-inch gauze pad on each side of the catheter. You should be able to curl the catheter once without twisting (kinking) it. The catheter should rest on the gauze and not on your skin.
• Cover the catheter with a 4-by-4-inch gauze pad. Use tape to hold the dressing in place.
• Put a piece of tape below the dressing to hold the catheter. This will protect the catheter from being pulled.
• You should have an extra drainage bag on hand in case one leaks or is damaged.

Flushing the catheter

• Always wash your hands well before working with your catheter.
• Open the cap and wipe it clean with alcohol. Take a syringe that is prefilled with normal saline, twist the cap off, and remove any air by holding the opening upright and slowly pushing the plunger. Attach the syringe to the catheter by turning it clockwise onto the catheter’s injection port. (Your provider will tell you what size syringes and how much normal saline to use.)
• Push the plunger of the syringe slowly and evenly.
• The saline should infuse easily into the catheter. If you meet resistance, stop and call your home healthcare nurse or doctor.
• Twist off the syringe from the catheter, and throw the syringe in the trash.

Follow-up

• Follow up with your healthcare provider, or as advised.
• Keep all follow-up appointments. Your provider will need to check your tube once a month. Your provider will change it every 8 to 12 weeks.