Exit site infection/Taking a shower

[Shona_]

Whilst I'm still waiting on an official diagnosis (Swab was taken & sent off the other day), I've got an exit site infection. Got me to thinking about how I could've gotten it which led me to wonder about showering.

I folllow the hospitals instructions etc etc but am thinking perhaps my shower head simply isnt clean (like clean clean, y'know?) and that could be how I got germs on the exit site.

Any thoughts?

[Marina]

I  once  had  a "minor"  exit site  infection. 
The  culture  showed it  was  due to   water contamination, meaning  I  didn't  completely  dry or  gave  it  enough  "air time"  to  dry  on  it's  own before I  put   a  new  dressing  on  it.

What  I  did  from  then  on,  I would   pat  dry  it,  then   I   let it  air  dry  while  I    brushed  teeth,  did  hair,  make up,  then I  would  pat dry  it  again.        That  worked, I  never  got  an  infection again.
If  you  need to  wake up  an  additional   10-15 min  earlier  to   give your  site  ample  time  to  dry,  then  do it,  IT'S  WORTH  IT!!!

[Lillupie]

hmm,
 YOu might want to research this. I think I know of someone who knows the answer, its on a nother kidney site. I think you are suspose to use some sort of cleaner/cleanser in a bucket or deep container and hold it the shower head to clean the shower head. I swore I saw that some where. If i see more on it, I will forward it to you.

Lisa

[drgirlfriend]

The nurses at the center told us to be sure to clean the shower frequently and to soak the shower head and filter on the sink faucet in bleach solution once a month. I use 1:100 bleach to water. Soak them for about an hour. They also told my bf to not use towels that contact the exit site more than once before laundering. (To be honest, that particular piece of advice is very irritating to me because I have to do laundry more often and our water bill is crazy! Hopefully we can buy more towels soon.) It's a pain in the butt, but so far so good. I'd rather have butt pain than him get an infection! 

I hope your diagnosis is an easy one to take care of!

[Willis]

I bought a new showerhead before my first shower post-surgery. Best showerhead I've ever used anywhere...appx $50 and took 10 minutes to install.

http://webapps.easy2.com/cm2/flash/generic_index.asp?page_id=36167880&vid_refer=96266&buyhide=1

 

[Marina]

hmm,
 YOu might want to research this. I think I know of someone who knows the answer, its on a nother kidney site. I think you are suspose to use some sort of cleaner/cleanser in a bucket or deep container and hold it the shower head to clean the shower head. I swore I saw that some where. If i see more on it, I will forward it to you.

Lisa

Lisa,   
I  posted  on  KK.   
I'll have to  research  it  and  copy  it to hear.

Mine  was  not  caused by a  dirty  shower head,  although  according  to the  article  I posted on KK,  ALL  showerheads are  dirty.

I  did  NOT  need  antibiotics  for  it.     It healed  on  it's  own.     

[tbarrett2533]

for futrue some advice

keep it covered while you shower
then take off the bandage and use alcohol around the exit site
let it air dry
put some antibiotic ointment on a Q-tip then cover the exit site wtih it
put a clean bandage on

good luck!!!!!

[Joe]

I'll lend my voice to tbarrett2533 and her advice;
I keep the bandage on while showering, then clean it with Betasept and Accept. Let it dry and put genomiacin ointment on with a new bandage. So far, so good.

[mcclane]

is this the pd exit site ?  If so, I used to have one and showered without any issues.  The hospital provided this reddish soap (an anti bacterial soap) to use on the exit site.  I would use the soap and apply it around the site 3-4 times (the hospital recommended only once is good).  After i finished showering, i would not use any towel or anything to dry around the site.  I would dry myself completely but when it came to the exit site, I would give it a wide berth.  After drying (sans exit site), I would use sterile 4x4 gauze to dry the exit site area.  I used quite abit of 4x4 gauze to do so (I would order alot of 4x4 gauze just for that).  when I got dressed (only the bottom part, the top part I would leave off until I got my bandages on), I would quickly go to the spare bedroom where I had all the gauze/dressings ready to go, so I'm not fumbling around with an open exit site.

I would spray this saf clens cleaner on the site and dry it with more sterile 4x4 gauze.  Then, I would apply bactroban cream (anti bacterial cream) around the exit site, then I would apply the dressings.

[Shona_]

Got the results back and whilst I can't remember the name, its apparently a really common one. Nurse said it was unlikely to have come from showering and was likely just on my skin.

Asked her about keeping the site covered in the shower and she suggested I shouldn't do that. However, she did say I could try the antibacterial soap mcclane mentioned....

Looks to be clearing up anyways.

[mcclane]

Got the results back and whilst I can't remember the name, its apparently a really common one. Nurse said it was unlikely to have come from showering and was likely just on my skin.

Asked her about keeping the site covered in the shower and she suggested I shouldn't do that. However, she did say I could try the antibacterial soap mcclane mentioned....

Looks to be clearing up anyways.

I can't remember the name of the anti bacterial soap, but it is reddish pink in colour, viscocity is somewhat thick, and it is in a pump dispenser.  When i was on pd, i would order bottles of that stuff (instead of using regular soap after using the washroom, we would use this anti bacterial soap instead, besides it was free !) 

[brandywine]

I just did my swab this morning. I know mine is likely from being uncovered most of the time. It will be interesting to see exactly what the lab says though.

[HouseOfDialysis]

I shower with the bandage off and I have encountered no problems.

[amanda100wilson]

Eight years on PD.  shower every day with no dressing.  Never cover it with a dressing and never tape it.  During shower, use regular soap.  Have never had exit sie infection or peritonitis.  By the way, the red soap is probably hibiscrub.

[tbarrett2533]

Eight years on PD.  shower every day with no dressing.  Never cover it with a dressing and never tape it.  During shower, use regular soap.  Have never had exit sie infection or peritonitis.  By the way, the red soap is probably hibiscrub.

I just started doing this, well within the last two months and the reason was b/c the tape from the bandage was giving me a rash and makin me itch like crazy.  so I use NOTHING!!!!!!! ALL THE TIME~
the only time I cover and tape up in when my BF and I well you know (hehe  ) then soon as the deed is done I am taking the tape right back off.  I do not use any belts, strings, or anything else either I just tuck my "power cord" (thats what my BF calls it)  into my pants and away I go.  BTW my neph says he thinks its great that I do this b/c I don't have to worry about moisture around my exit site!!!
I say whatever works
Gosh 8 years on PD..... I pray to god  I can do it that long....... I just want a transplant.....
all I know, anything is better than in-center hemo!! I do not EVER want to do that again!!!!

[Joe]

I'm getting to the point where I'm going to do away with taping it up to see how it goes. I do use a PD belt, but that's as much to keep from pulling the cath as I move around as anything.

[HouseOfDialysis]

I'm a hairy torso kind of guy and personally the tape drives me batshit loco. The belt helps my mind stay at ease about the catheter due to my jobs entailing of twisting, turning, bending, and bringing sharp and radioactive material next to my abdomen area throughout the workday. I just see it as another PPE to wear on the job.

[tbarrett2533]

I'm a hairy torso kind of guy and personally the tape drives me batshit loco. The belt helps my mind stay at ease about the catheter due to my jobs entailing of twisting, turning, bending, and bringing sharp and radioactive material next to my abdomen area throughout the workday. I just see it as another PPE to wear on the job.

Welcome back

 

and going FREE from bandages is not for everyone.... so don't do it!!!!
I only do it b/c I  was getting rashes and was worried that I was going to get an exit site infection from it, so I just did it on my own free will then when I went to my clinic visit I told my Neph and Mandy and and they thought it was an AMAZING idea for me so I am going to keep at it!!!

and please don't drop off the face of the earth again with out some sort of notice, you had me a lil worried about you 

[tbarrett2533]

I'm getting to the point where I'm going to do away with taping it up to see how it goes. I do use a PD belt, but that's as much to keep from pulling the cath as I move around as anything.

Joe,

Let me (and everyone else hehe)
how it goes for you once you do

since I started doing it, its even more freedom (and for me every little bit counts  )
I use nothing at all.... EVER no belts, no ties, strings, tape, NOTHING I just tuck into my pants and thats it!!!
Its very Freeing!!!!
no itching,
no tape residue,
no nasty build on my transfer set from old tape

its nice 

[fearless]

I also did PD for 8 years.  I never had any infections at my catheter site (or otherwise)
I never really did anything special regarding the handling of my catheter.  Washed it.  Dried the site with the inside side of a clean paper towel.  Pulled the catheter gently outward to dry thoroughly.  (dryness is your friend when hoping to prevent infection)  I didn't use any tape or anything either.  It really bothered my skin.
One thing i would warn about though is: my catheter had a weak spot right where the tubing met the plastic piece that connected to the changeable part.  the tubing was thinner there, and on top of that the catheter always wanted to bend there.  When I heard that one guy at my clinic had to have his catheter patched twice (a nasty procedure involving lots of beach) I started wrapping some tape around that point to prevent the tubing from bending there. (when it gets bent enough and over a long period, it will eventually crack)
so for those who want and need to keep that catheter in good shape for a long time: watch to make sure it's not getting bent or crimped in the same places again and again

[Grumpy-1]

for me, I shower with no tape or covering.  Dry very well, then clean the site with an cleaner then use a 2x2 gauge pad and 3x3 tape over that. I also use a PD belt to keep the rest from getting pulled around while I move.  After the site healed, I've never an issue.  Been swimming, as well.  Just clean the site very well after.

[highway61]

My personal habits have been more like Joe, HOD, and Grumpy-1. I shower without anything covering the exit site and wash the area gently with antibacterial soap. To dry off, my wife uses a small sterile towel and dabs the area gently. I towel off everywhere else. We have been putting a large, square bandaid to cover the exit site and I put my catheter into a PB belt.

[amanda100wilson]

The only problem if youdon't tape is that itcanget stretched.  Mine did and I used to wrap the self sticking bandage (that sticks to itself) around that part to prevent kinking and this worked well.It got so thin and skinny over the years that I was in Macdonalds one evening and could feel wet on my jeans.  Went to the bathroom thinking the cap had come off to find that it's shooting out from around the titanium connector.  As I work out how I can stop it leaking and get out without embarassment, the whole thing slides off the titaniym connector.  That actually solved the problem because I was able to use this part to tie around the partcoming out of my skin to stop the leak until I got home.  My nurse had to come and replace the connector and extension set.  Had to use a pladtic connector because it wouldn't stay on the metal one.