Had a freak out session tonight....

[skyedogrocks]

I was hooking Rob up tonight for his treatment and I accidentally touched the end of the line.  Just a light .  Now, I had gloves on and it was after I hooked him up.  Since we didn't want him to clot, I just cleaned it off real good with an alcohol pad and put the syringe on the end. 

I called his nurse and she said that it was fine that I cleaned it off with the alcohol pad and if we are unsure by that time in the process, to just not give his blood back.

Has anyone else ever touched the end of a line?  What did you do?

I freaked out a little and it didn't help that Rob was snapping at me.  He gets infections so easily, I just get so nervous over that!

[Amanda From OZ]

Skyedogrocks i have touched and dropped the line on commencing dialysis, my dad quickly wiped the top of it with a alcohol swob then we connected. (i got no infection from it)
Another time when we dropped it on the floor, we called up the clinic and they said to wipe it with an alcohol swob then let some saline / blood drip out of it to clean about 5 cm of the line. We did that then connected up.

What you did was fine, the nurse told me she has dropped it a few times and touched the top and they have connected up after with no infections or drama but it is important to wipe the top of it with an alcohol swob.

[skyedogrocks]

Thanks for saring your experience Amanda - that makes me feel better.  Rob seems to get infections easily and I didn't want this to happen this time.  I definitely cleaned it off well with the swab.