Prevention starts with the health care provider. Except in special circumstances, all urinary catheters should be placed in a sterile fashion. Insertion of a non-sterile catheter or using a non-sterile technique is much more likely to result in a urinary tract infection.

Routine care of the indwelling catheter MUST include daily cleansing of the urethral area and the catheter with soap and water. The area should also be thoroughly cleansed after all bowel movements to prevent infection. Experts no longer recommend using antimicrobial ointments around the catheter as they have not been shown to actually reduce infections.

The person who has an indwelling catheter in place should increase fluid intake to 3,000 cc of fluid per day, unless there is a medical condition that prohibits this increase. Also, the drainage bag must always be lower than the bladder to prevent a backup of urine back up into the bladder.

The drainage device should be emptied at least every eight hours or when the device is full. Care must be taken to keep the outlet valve from becoming infected. Wash your hands before and after handling the drainage device.

Sometimes a low-dose antibiotic is given on a daily basis to control bacterial growth in people with indwelling catheters. Additionally, cranberry juice or vitamin C may be recommended to help prevent UTIs.