Blood in PD Fluid Drain

[BrandyChloe]

I am on the night cycler but do 1 manual exchange when I get home from work. Today, the drained fluid had blood in it. Not a little - the fluid was definitely red. Has this happened to anyone?

Called my PD nurse, she told me to do 2 extra drains to clear the blood out, put Heparin in my cycler bag for tonight and if there is still blood in the drained fluid, go see them in the morning.

Has this happened to anyone and if yes, what was it? I haven't done any streneous exercise and I don't have periods anymore so I know it's not that.

Effie

[looneytunes]

Hi Effie.  My hubby who is also on PD had this happen once.  We don't know what caused it and the next day his fluid was clear.  So...if you find out any more on this, please post.  Best of luck and sorry I couldn't be of help.  Maybe someone else has had this happen and can give us both some insight. 

[Hanify]

I haven't had it happen, but they mentioned it in my training.  Let us know how you get on.  I feel that they said it was something that could be dealt with and not that big a deal - not like peritonitis I mean.  They said sometimes the tube itself might have nicked a blood vessel or something.  They also said sometimes they get the person to put a cold bag in  which helps the blood vessel seal. Might be worth asking about.  Don't panic.

[Jie]

It occurred to me after the first fast walk with the cat.  Blood lasted for three days. I just flushed it every day until it was clear. It looked like the cat. broke something inside.

[jennyc]

Even if you don't have a period it still could be a rosey bag. It's quite possible you still have the lining there. Also it could be from the cycler being to vigorous. I get two days of rosey each month

[peleroja]

When my friend was on PD, she got red bags every month exactly one week prior to her period.  I have had two rosy bags.  Since I no longer have periods, the first time I went to ER, and they never figured out why it was rosy.  They finally came up with maybe your tubing moved around inside and scraped the inside of the peritoneum!  The second time it happened I didn't even bother the nurse.

[del]

When my husband was on PD he had a few red bags. It always happened when he lifted something that was a little too heavy or did something too strenuous.  Frightened us the first time it happened. The dialysis nurse told us that there doesn't need to be very much blood in the bag to turn the solution red. 

[BrandyChloe]

Well, I did go into the dialysis clinic on Friday morning as I am having a problem with my exit site healing so they had to treat that again. We talked about the blood and they did a drain. Bag was still red but not as bad as the night before. They were not concerned and told me it happens. Even though I haven't done anything streneous, they said sometimes turning wrong can cause a vessel to break. They told me it could last for a few days so if I was still bleeding on Monday when I have to go for my first month's checkup being on dialysis, they would consider trying to figure out what was going on. Said it was possible I had an ulcer but haven't had any stomach pain.

They told me to do extra flushes when doing my manual drain until the bag was clear. It only took me two flushes yesterday to get a clear bag so I guess whatever it is is healing. They also told me to put Heparin in my cycler bag until the blood clears up.

Guess there isn't anything to worry about right now but it sure freaked me out when I first saw it!

Thanks for your replies. While they had told me it was possible, I didn't think it would happen to me. Couse, I never thought I would have to be on dialysis either!  It's good to know it has happened to others as well and didn't turn out to be anything serious.

[*kana*]

Not to get too personal, but did you perhaps have personal relations with your partner?  My nurse, during training, told me that having intercourse will cause you to have a bloody bag and not to be alarmed.   So.....that would be my guess as to why you have this...uhm....slight.....problem.   

[BrandyChloe]

Kana, no "personal relations", no heavy lifting, no exercise. Had a hysterectomy in '89 so I know it's not my period. No idea why I'm bleeding. But I'm wishing it would stop now!

 

[*kana*]

Hmmm, then I am lost for a reason why that is happening to you.  I have a kitty that looks just like your Shrek avatar. 

[KICKSTART]

It could be something as simple as your cath just scraping on your insides , i got this several times over 5 years but with no major problems . Sometimes just doing the housework or stretching would trigger it . It doest always have to be strenuous !

[tito]

I had blood for the first time yesterday (I have been doing PD for about 3 months). I had just returned from my monthly checkup with the nurse and my nephrologist and was cleaning things up to prepare the cycler when I noticed it. Called the nurse and she told me not to worry - a capillary might have broken. I didn't panic because I had already read this thread!

[BrandyChloe]

Good deal tito! It took 4 days for my bag to be completely clear and now it's like it never happened at all. Life goes on!

[koutsounel]

Hi,
when my son had it they said it was most likely because he pulled the PD catheter - or the gastrostomy - in fact this could happen in your sleep without understanding. They weren't at all worried about it, and it only happened once. He has been on PD for 18 months now.