- Use of containment products does not actively support recovery of bladder/bowel function.
- Containment products should only be used as a last resort when all other bladder/bowel rehabilitation has failed.
Assessing for a product is not a bladder/bowel assessment. It is only a part of a wider comprehensive assessment. Products can improve a patient’s quality of life, protect dignity and encourage functional and social independence when recovery of bladder/bowel function is not possible.
The main types of containment are:
-
- Absorbent pads
- Sheath catheters
- Indwelling urethral/suprapubic catheters only where clinically indicated (RCP 2016, Australian Stroke Foundation 2017).
Factors to be considered for choice of containment:
- Level of disability: some products are easier to use than others
- Physical and cognitive function
- Type and severity of incontinence
- Gender
- Skin integrity
- Availability of care
- Likely duration of use
It is vital that before supplying a patient with a containment product, clear instructions about the correct use, fitting, storage and disposal of the product are given.
Page last reviewed: 31 Jan 2022
