What Catheter Night Bag is Right for Me?

Following on from our thorough investigation of the considerations you need to make when deciding what catheter bag is right for you, we are now turning our attention to catheter night bags.

Catheter night bags are slightly larger capacity drainage bags that allow for overnight drainage of urine; so you don’t have to get up in the night to empty your bag. Like catheter bags you use in the day, there are a number of considerations you need to make to ensure you have the right catheter bag for the night time too.

Single-use or Reusable?

Catheter night bags can either be single-use; whereby you dispose of the night bag once it has been emptied, or reusable; where the bag is used for a period of 5-7 days.

The important thing to consider, when choosing between single-use or reusable, is that you maintain a closed system. That means you only disconnect the night bag when it is time to change it.

If you connect a catheter night bag to your leg bag at night time and disconnect it every morning then a single-use option should be used. 

A reusable night bag can be connected directly to the catheter and changed every 5-7 days.

Sterile or Non-Sterile?

Another consideration to take is whether you want your catheter night bag to be sterile or not. If you are a catheter user you mustn’t connect a non-sterile catheter bag directly to your catheter. Instead, you must connect it to your leg bag as part of an overnight link system.

If you only use catheter night bags, maybe because you are bed bound, a sterile catheter night bag can be connected directly to your catheter.

If you are a condom catheter user, you can connect either a sterile or non-sterile catheter bag.

Reusable catheter night bags are usually sterile and single-use ones are usually non-sterile, however Great Bear do have the GB3S Night Bag, which combines the benefits of being both sterile and single-use.

Capacity

Catheter night bags come in larger capacities than day bags for the reason that they are designed to hold a greater volume of urine so you can go through the night without having to empty the bag. Many night bags come in a 2 litre capacity but, for some, this capacity isn’t sufficient due to conditions such as nocturia. If you find you pass more urine at night time there are 3 litre catheter night bags available.

Tube Style

Catheter night bags have differing tube styles. Single-use night bags tend to have narrower inlet tubes whereas reusable tubing tends to be wider. This is because, over the course of the week, sediment from the urine might build up in the tube so the wider bore helps to prevent it blocking.

Some Night Bags have specialised tubing. The GB4 and GB6 tubing is “star-formed” which helps prevent kinking of the tube and provides optimal drainage. This is especially beneficial for those who have high levels of sediment in the urine, or find they are having issues with their current tube kinking and therefore not draining.

Type of Outlet Tap

Night bags come with varying drainage options. Some single-use bags come without a tap and have a tear-open perforation to empty the bag. Others come with a single-use T-Tap or a twist-off outlet. Generally, reusable bags come with either a lever tap or a reusable t-tap. Some people find the lever action easier to use, whilst others prefer the security of the tamper proof T-tap. There are even catheter night bags with taps that fold-up; which adds protection against infection. It all comes down to personal preference and dexterity.

Regardless of what night bag you need, Great Bear will have one to suit you. Try a sample today.