I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: texasstyle on June 22, 2010, 07:49:12 PM
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If the cuff is up over the higher arm and your fistual is on the lower arm, what's the reason for caution on that arm. because the BP cuff cuts off the blood flow temporarily for a few seconds or something? i always wondered about that. i can see not putting it directly on fistula Hhmmmm...
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Just not worth the risk, is all. No, it might not hurt it. But for the 5 seconds it takes for the nurse to walk to the other side of the hospital bed, is it worth risking another surgery and losing an access spot? Those are a limited commodity, which makes them very, very valuable.
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NO BAD NEVER BAD BAD BAD BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A cuff should NEVER be on the fistula arm. Compression on the blood vessels is bad karma and shouldn't be done.
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I agree. Pamper the fistula arm!
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The pressure that the arm is under during the taking of the BP can rupture or tear a fistula. That is why you need to take care of the arm with the fistula by not picking up something heavy or pressing on the fistula.
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Think about it, quite often when a nurse cannot "find" a vein during a blood draw they put a tourniquet on the upper arm, then the veins usually "Pop" out, You definitely do not need that to happen to the Fistula......
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The only cuff one should wear are french cuffs. ::)
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I had a friend do that and the buzzing stopped the bp from reading.
Troy
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I couldn't believe it. My husband had his first dialysis treatment today, was returned to his room, (he is in the hospital) and the nurse took his BP on his fistula arm!! As I walked in, I about had a heart attack!! I just pray she didn't so any damage to it. :(
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Gah! Jeez! :stressed;
Did you say anything?
ps: love your signature. Currently, I am the bug. ;D
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I couldn't believe it. My husband had his first dialysis treatment today, was returned to his room, (he is in the hospital) and the nurse took his BP on his fistula arm!! As I walked in, I about had a heart attack!! I just pray she didn't so any damage to it. :(
Don't they but a bracelet on with a warning not to take BP or draw blood in that arm? Everytme I have been in the hospital they have put a bright pink bracelet on my fistula arm with the warning in BOLD writing!!
Ask your hospital why they don't use those....
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Don't they but a bracelet on with a warning not to take BP or draw blood in that arm? Everytme I have been in the hospital they have put a bright pink bracelet on my fistula arm with the warning in BOLD writing!!
My local hospital in the UK does exactly the same, plus a notice over my bed.
I couldn't believe it. My husband had his first dialysis treatment today, was returned to his room, (he is in the hospital) and the nurse took his BP on his fistula arm!! As I walked in, I about had a heart attack!! I just pray she didn't so any damage to it. :(
You do live in Georgia, USA and not Georgia Europe? :laugh:
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I couldn't believe it. My husband had his first dialysis treatment today, was returned to his room, (he is in the hospital) and the nurse took his BP on his fistula arm!! As I walked in, I about had a heart attack!! I just pray she didn't so any damage to it. :(
Don't they but a bracelet on with a warning not to take BP or draw blood in that arm? Everytme I have been in the hospital they have put a bright pink bracelet on my fistula arm with the warning in BOLD writing!!
Ask your hospital why they don't use those....
I live in Texas and they never put a don't use bracelet on my fistula. My mom and I have to very vigilant to make sure they don't use that arm. But I love the idea of a bracelet. I might make one myself the next time I go to the the hospital.
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You should not put an arm-cuff blood pressure monitor on a fistula arm. However a wrist-cuff blood pressure monitor is pretty safe unless your fistula is actually near the wrist area. The pressure applied is over a much smaller area with the wrist-cuff than the arm-cuff. Wrist-cuff BP monitor can be accurate if used properly and they are quite portable such that you can bring your own and not share one with the other patients who used it at the dialysis center. One should always be wary of possible MSRA transmission through any means, including any object you come into prolong contact at the dialysis center.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzoueoXTRFs
Wrist-cuff monitors are usually factory set up to use the left wrist, however most of them can also be reprogrammed to use the right wrist.
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I couldn't believe it. My husband had his first dialysis treatment today, was returned to his room, (he is in the hospital) and the nurse took his BP on his fistula arm!! As I walked in, I about had a heart attack!! I just pray she didn't so any damage to it. :(
You need to talk to the nursing coordinator on the floor NOW! A sign should be over the bed saying not to do anything on that fistula arm! Oh my God! :Kit n Stik; :Kit n Stik; :Kit n Stik;
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I couldn't believe it. My husband had his first dialysis treatment today, was returned to his room, (he is in the hospital) and the nurse took his BP on his fistula arm!! As I walked in, I about had a heart attack!! I just pray she didn't so any damage to it. :(
You need to talk to the nursing coordinator on the floor NOW! A sign should be over the bed saying not to do anything on that fistula arm! Oh my God! :Kit n Stik; :Kit n Stik; :Kit n Stik;
There was a sign! When I walked in I was like "Get that off" and pointed at the sign. Her reply was, "Oh I didn't look up there (over his head).
I agree, I like the idea of a bracelet, just like they do for allergic to some meds. But folks, this is a VA hospital.... :(
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they put a sign over the bed at the hospital I go to as well. I was always very vigilant when it came to protecting my fistula when I was a kid, even though it was never used. I'm even more so now, because it is my life line...
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My Husband wears a Med Alert Bracelet. I had it Engraved on the Back " NO BP IN LEFT ARM " Whenever he has been Admitted, to the Hospital, before I leave, I find His Nurse and tell Her, " I want a Sign, over His Bed, saying, No BP or Sticks in Left Arm " If a Sign, like that is not Noticed, then Someone, is not doing Their Job.
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I've heard the following suggestion for when people with fistulas go into any kind of surgery: get a felt tipped pen (e.g. surgical pen) and write on his arm: No BP this arm.
Might be an idea here?
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My Husband wears a Med Alert Bracelet. I had it Engraved on the Back " NO BP IN LEFT ARM " Whenever he has been Admitted, to the Hospital, before I leave, I find His Nurse and tell Her, " I want a Sign, over His Bed, saying, No BP or Sticks in Left Arm " If a Sign, like that is not Noticed, then Someone, is not doing Their Job.
Exactly! I got word that is staying until at least Wed. Taking a felt tip pen and writing on his arm, AND talking to the nurse manager as it almost happened again today, because the nurse read HER left, not his. :(
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Whenever Sharon went into the hospital I used the felt Tip pen and wrote "Do Not Use" in large letters on that arm, signs on the door and over the bed just do not get read.......
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I like Silverhead's version: "Do Not Use" might be better: cos its not just "no BP" right? Also no blood tests, no needles.
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I wear a MedicAlert necklace that says "NO BP CUFF OR NEEDLES ON RT ARM" and "MED LIST IN WALLET"
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Excellent idea! Need to change his medic alert now that he has started dialysis.
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When I was in the hospital post transplant there was a big sign over the bed - something like "LEFT AVF - NO BLOODS/BP" and on the actual arm near the elbow was a bright green sticker taped there basically saying the same thing.
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We had the sign overhead...the girl was short and claimed she didn't see it.
After talking with anyone and everyone who would listen to me about the repeated use of his "fistula arm",
I took some tape and wrote "NO BP" and actually stuck it on his arm!
(http://lh6.ggpht.com/_EHM9MTPc2Og/TRgNBhS_VsI/AAAAAAAAH7Y/KcmuMHK_ATM/s512/Augusta-20101205-00133.jpg)
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When I go in for surgery, I write 'Fistula - do not use" on my left arm.. It's on charts and all, but I like to make sure they know
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That wrist band is a good idea. They always put the green NO LATEX band on me, but a nice fat juicy NO B/P band - why don't they do that? I was having my tunnel catheter removed and the nurse starts to put the cuff on my fistula arm - good thing they didn't knock me out for that, I could say something.
The nurses never look over the bed for signs - I have had them stick bandaids on me and then rip them off with at least one layer of skin. Adhesives are a real no no with me - esp 3M tape, tegoderm, any wound coverings. Guess I need a wrist band for that too!
Let's go into business!!! Wrist bands for all of us!!
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Hey I came across this product via KidneyKorner http://kidneykorner.com/smfbb/index.php?topic=3983.msg33255#msg33255,
its just what we were talking about. Very excited because it doesnt just tell them in big red letters, "no no no, rack off"
it also stops people from being *able* to use the fistula to take blood.
but you could probably still take blood pressure over it couldn't you?
see photo.
http://nonosleeve.com/
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I absolutely could not possibly wear that!
It's got two outrageous solecisms. Was it conceived by a greengrocer? :laugh:
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---"nonosleeve"
Wonder how I could make it glow in the dark 'cause hospital rooms 'round here aren't very well illuminated during the sleeping hours....
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When ever I am heading for a Fistulagram or if I have to go to the ER I use a kid's removable marker pen and write on my fistula arm DO NOT USE! in big red letters. I don't take any chances. I also have it on the medication card I carry in my wallet.
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writing it on the arm with a marker, or even on the medical tape like in the picture is a great idea! They put a wrist band on but unless you realy look at it you can't tell what it says.
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I absolutely could not possibly wear that!
It's got two outrageous solecisms. Was it conceived by a greengrocer? :laugh:
8) well yes, that's a fairly shameful problem with it there's no doubt about that. ;D
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Exactly! I got word that is staying until at least Wed. Taking a felt tip pen and writing on his arm, AND talking to the nurse manager as it almost happened again today, because the nurse read HER left, not his. :(
What an idiot! :Kit n Stik; :Kit n Stik; :Kit n Stik;
That's it, I'm getting a med alert tattoo on my fistula arm. They can't miss that.
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My grafts, both upper and lower arm are both clotted off. In theory, there's no reason why they can't take a bp there anymore. Blood sticks are a bit more complicated, of course - how do you find a vein in the scarred up mess? But I've ended up having to deal with the signs and the markers anyhow, because I've got so many metal stents in the grafts. If they try to take the bp over the grafts they never get an accurate reading because I'm levitating out of my seat in pain..... :P
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any ones trys again, wrap the cuff around their neck and press start :boxing;
tattoo on the upper arm that says "no thanks"
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Oh boy, this is also one that needs to recirculate . :bow;
Guard that fistula or graft. :boxing;
Whom ever tries to :Kit n Stik;
talker
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Oh boy, this is also one that needs to recirculate . :bow;
Guard that fistula or graft. :boxing;
Whom ever tries to :Kit n Stik;
talker
:2thumbsup; Excellent point!! :2thumbsup;
I'm 6 months post transplant and I still don't let people near it! Now I will say when I have been in the hospital I did have a color wrist band that said not to use, but I still made sure everyone entering my hospital room knew not to use it!
Best of luck all! :cuddle;
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wow freaky, I know that in NZ most nurses and Phlebotomist's wont touch a Fistula arm. It must be in their training. So so important as its a lifeline. Granted it can be usually replaced but I know that i only want 1, so i treat it like crystal glass.
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Granted it can be usually replaced but I know that i only want 1, so i treat it like crystal glass.
I am with you on this! I have had 1 fistula and its been going on 8 years with no problems, but just like you I baby it too even after transplant, you can't be to careful :2thumbsup;
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:last year before start hd I had surgery to repair a rotor cuff tear in my right shoulder when I was admitted they put a red band on my left arm to stop bp on the left arm. They put a automated bp cuff on my right arm after surgery . Every time that censored cuff expanded the pain in my right arm went up. So did my blood pressure. After about three hours two doctors and a nurse arrived to give me a stronger dose of bp medication. I said no that my bp was up because every time it in flatbed my shoulder felt like it was coming apart. The doctors insisted but thank god the nurse was there she went and got the biggest bp cuff I have ever seen and put it on my leg. Thanks to the nurse my bp dropped right down to normal.
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I hate automated cuffs. They cause more pressure and pain and are very inacurate. I still do all blood pressures the old fashioned way with a manual cuff and stethascope. I even do this for my wife during dialysis. She used to hate the pain from the automated cuff.