Help please. Tape is tearing skin

[Redbomb]

I hope someone can help me with this.  Yesterday we used my Fistula for the first time!  I was excited  The nurse said I was running at 300 - 330 (is that good?) and there were absolutely no problems!! 

That is, until I went to take the tape off of my arm this morning.  .. I have very sensitive skin where my Fistula is and when I went to take off the tape there were about 5 spots where the skin was pulled off! 

Does anyone have any ideas how I can help alleviate this problem?  I'm almost afraid to go back for my treatment on Monday because I dread the pain of the tape coming off!

Thanks in advance! 

[Adam_W]

I sometimes have this problem as well. I usually use paper tape that's specifically made for sensitive skin, and when I use that, problems are rare. Ask your staff if they have any, and if not, you can buy your own at most drug stores.

Adam

[del]

Yes use paper tape but can still have problems with that. What we do now is fold a 2x2 in half and put it on your arm underneath the tape so that the tape sticks mostly to that and not your arm. have the tape long enough so that some of the tape skins to the skin pass the tape.  This is for the bottom needle.  For the top needle we put the tape on so that most of it goes on top of the tape that is already on your arm.  Found this helped a lot!!    Hubby's arm was really irritated even with paper tape until we started using the 2x2

[goofynina]

OUCH, i am sorry your having this problem, i had that problem on my stomach from taping my tube to my skin, the tape literally started making my skin bleed, very painful, that is when i stopped placing a dressing on it,  now i use a cloth like tape called Medipore that i got from my PD nurse 

[Black]

In addition to the good advice above:

Remove the tape as soon as possible, do not ever leave it on overnight.

Use a moisturizing soap, gentle washing and pat dry -- do not scrub!

Use a skin lotion with lanolin, or straight lanolin if you can get it and afford it.

Experiment with different disinfectants.  (Mike found that he could not tolerate some of the wipes, but does okay with the iodine wipes.)

[boxman55]

Ask the techs if they have gauze then fold a 2x2 over the sight and wrap the gauze around it . tape that together. Now all you have is the sureseals taped to your arm....Boxman

[kitkatz]

Dove is the best moisturizing soap I have found!

[Redbomb]

Ask the techs if they have gauze then fold a 2x2 over the sight and wrap the gauze around it . tape that together. Now all you have is the sureseals taped to your arm....Boxman

O.K.  another term i don't know .. Sureseal.  What is that?  All my  Center used was a Bandaid over the site, then folds of gauze on top of that followed by lots of tape.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!  I'm going to try each and every one of them!!!!

[boxman55]

A sureseal is a special bandaid that some centers use. The pad has clotting medicine that speeds up the process of stopping the bleeding once the needles are pulled. Works better then a regular bandaid...Boxman

[Black]

I have my WalMart order the Sure Seals -- a box of 100 is about $17.00.

Mike holds 4 gauze pads, folded into quarters, on the sites until they clot - 8 to 10 minutes each.  Then I use a Sure Seal on each.  The only "tape" left on his arm is the Sure Seal.  There is no need for any other tape until he starts dialysis again and the needle sets are taped in place.

The easiest way to remove tape, even on the needle sets, is to spray it very lightly with alcohol.  We keep a spray bottle of alcohol handy and this is one of the uses.  It melts the glue and keeps it from pulling on the skin.  I am very careful to NOT spray it near the needle holes.

[jbeany]

I like the stuff sold as "silk" tape.  That doesn't rip up my skin. Watch any kind of band-aid.  The centers tend to buy the cheapest kind they can get in bulk, and they can be just as hard on your skin as the plastic tape.  I just use band-aids after I hold (good ones, not cheapies) and leave them on until I take a shower the next morning, when I let the hot water help soak them off.

[kitkatz]

You are lucky silk tape rips my skins to shreds. Sticks like glue.

[Black]

Mike can't use silk tape either.  Pulls the skin off and causes a weeping, bumpy, scabby rash.

[kitkatz]

The medical supply stores will let you try tape if you ask. So will the tape makers.  Contact them on line and ask for free samples to try.

[RedsMom]

I am new here but do have an answer for you.
My daughter is allergic to just about all kinds of tape and her skin is very sensitive. She can use paper tape but just for awhile then has a reaction.
I am in NO way trying to advertise either these products!
Anyway, there some stuff out there called COBAN, available at most anywhere that has medical supplies, VERY pricey though. My daughter and most of the patients in her unit uses "VET WRAP", which can be bought at most any farm supply store that has animal supplies. Vet Wrap is very reasonably in priced. Coban and Vet Wrap are a stretchy material that has NO adhesive, it adheres to itself. OH, Vet Wrap also comes in many colors.

All you do is cut off a length that will go around the arm and a little left over to connect. After holding pressure to stop bleeding, put clean gauze on each site if you need to, I do because I don't want dirty gauze to be on her arm for very long. Then wrap the Coban or Vet Wrap around snuggly but not to tight until you get home. If you keep your dressing on very long loosen the wrap a little but enough to keep pressure on the sites.

Some of the patients with thin skin also use the Vet Wrap over their needles instead of tape with no problems.

We have been using this for just about 6 years and have NO problems at all with broken down skin.

RedsMom

[paddbear0000]

OH, Vet Wrap also comes in many colors.

And you can get it with paw prints on it!  I used to be a vet assistant and used it all the time on people's pets, my own pets and myself! It's great stuff!

[Redbomb]

OH, Vet Wrap also comes in many colors.

And you can get it with paw prints on it!  I used to be a vet assistant and used it all the time on people's pets, my own pets and myself! It's great stuff!

Oh, that almost sounds like KLING.  I use to use that back when I was an EMT.  I almost forgot about that stuff!  I'll have to get some and try it!

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions!  It is greatly and muchly appreciated!