During catheter care (female), which safety step is described?

• A. Ensure the patient is not lying on tubing and the bag is not touching the floor.
• B. Coil the catheter tubing around your arm.
• C. Place the tubing on the floor.
• D. Remove the catheter from the patient.

Answer: (A)

Safe catheter care focuses on keeping the system clean and free from obstruction. The step described—making sure the patient isn’t lying on the tubing and that the drainage bag isn’t touching the floor—best maintains cleanliness and prevents mechanical problems. Not lying on the tubing reduces the chance of occlusion, discomfort, or dislodgement, and keeping the bag off the floor minimizes exposure to pathogens and helps prevent contamination of the drainage system. This combination supports infection prevention and stable catheter function.

Coiling tubing around the arm can kink or pull on the catheter, placing stress on the system. Placing tubing on the floor creates a direct contamination risk and potential tripping hazards. Removing the catheter during care is not a routine safety step and would defeat the purpose of ongoing catheter management.