Best practice for patient self-cleaning of urinary drainage bags.

The best practice for cleansing urinary drainage bags (leg and bed) in a hospital setting can be translated for use by clients for self-care within the home setting. Common household bleach containing 5.25% sodium hypochlorite, diluted in a 1:10 ratio with tap water, is a safe and effective method to reduce colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/ml) to a study-defined acceptable range of 100 CFU/ml when a standard procedure was consistently used. This practice increases the life of the urinary drainage bag, decreasing the cost for the client. Ascending bacteria from the urinary drainage bag may also decrease, resulting in fewer urinary tract infections.