High Colonic Enema Instructions

Patient instructions: 

Gather your supplies: 

• Lubricant (K-Y Jelly®)

• Red rubber catheter (20, 22 or 24 French red rubber – will be designated by your medical team)

• Enema bag/gravity feeding bag

• Normal saline and additives/enema

Mixing a high colonic enema: 

1. Mix the enema as you have been taught by your healthcare team.

2. Make sure the enema bag is clamped, then pour the solution into the bag. 

3. Hang the bag on the wall (you can use a nail or hook on the wall or use a hanger and hang on the shower curtain rod). 

4. If you are using an enema bag, cut off the blue tip on the end and connect the tubing to the Enfit® connector. Connect the Enfit connector to the large end of the red rubber catheter tubing. Prime the tubing by opening the roller clamp until the solution comes out of the catheter.

   Cut tubing	Attach Enfit transitional connector to enema bag

5. Put lubricant on the end of the red rubber catheter. 

6. Have your child lay on their side with their knees curled up to chest. 

7. Slide the catheter in the anus and continue to pass it as far as it will go through the colon, you can pass it to the end of the bifurcation. 

8. If you meet resistance, have your child take a deep breath and try to pass it again, if you continue to meet resistance remove the catheter and try again. 

9. Once the catheter is in place, open the clamp of the enema bag and allow all the contents to instill. This should take about 5-10 minutes. 

10. Remove the catheter. 

11. Have your child sit on the toilet for about 15-30 minutes - until there is no more stool output. 

For Fleet® via high colonic

1. Wipe off lubricant from end of enema bottle (or it will not stay in place in the catheter). 

2. Insert tip of the fleet enema bottle into large open end of red rubber catheter. 

3. Squeeze some of the enema fluid to prime the catheter (this will reduce the amount of air being introduced into the colon).

4. Put lubricant on at the end of the red rubber catheter.

5. Have your child lay on their side with their knees curled up.

6. Slide catheter in the anus and continue to pass it as far as it will go.

7. If you meet resistance wait until your child takes a deep breath and try to pass the catheter through, if you continue to meet resistance remove the catheter and try again.

8. Once catheter is in place, squeeze the fleet enema bottle until there is no fluid left in the bottle. 

9. Remove the catheter. 

10. Have your child sit on the toilet for about 15-30 minutes - until there is no more stool output. 

Reviewed March 2024 by Lisa Jang CRNP and Stephanie Collins CRNP