Inferior bandages

[RightSide]

I'm still using a catheter while I wait for my fistula to mature.  The center that I go to, does not use Tegaderm bandages to bandage the catheter site.  Instead, they use some inferior brand of bandage that I never heard of.  The bandage won't stay affixed to my skin if it encounters any kind of moisture--even the moisture from taking a sponge bath, or even just heavy perspiration.  Any moisture at all and the bandage just starts coming right off.

This happens on a regular basis.  Usually, if I see it happening, I take some Tegaderm tape and fasten down the part that is coming loose.  But last month, I woke up one morning to find that the bandage had just come completely off the site while I was asleep, and the site was exposed to the air while I was asleep.  Which has a risk of infection.

I've even offered to supply the center with Tegaderm bandages for bandaging me, at my own expense.  But I have noticed that dialysis centers tend to be set in their ways: Each has their way of doing things, with their preferred supplies; and they don't like to make exceptions.

[Wallyz]

Push it.  Bring Em in, and refuse the other bandages.  This is your body, you are taking the risk that comes from inferior supplies. 

Go get em.  Give the headaches, don't live with them.

[peleroja]

I hate Tegaderm bandages as they just rip my skin off.  My nurse puts on something called an island dressing, which is much gentler to my skin.  Never had a problem with it, in spite of taking full showers, no covering for the dressing.

[justatech]

Technically speaking, If your cather has been in place for over 6 weeks and the cuff is healed, and all stitches removed. It is supposed to be sealed at the cuff (under the skin) so if your bandage comes off and/pr happens to get exposed to air your still safe.  Some units do not even use a cover over the top of the exit site because of this.

[paddbear0000]

Just tell them you are allergic to the ones they use and bring the Tegaderm yourself. When I had my catheter, I just bought all the supplies (mask, gloves, betadine, gauze, tegaderm, etc.) and did it myself at home.

[Rerun]

I thought Tegaderm was the little antibiotic piece that they put right around the site and then used regular gauze and tape to cover that.  I've never heard of Tegaderm bandages.

So if the bandages are not holding maybe it is the tape they are using.

I don't like Tegaderm because then they don't have to change the bandage everytime; only once a week and that just drove me nuts.  I made them change it everyother time and they didn't like that very much.

[paddbear0000]

Tegaderm is a clear sheet that has adhesive on the back. Hospitals use it to hold iv lines in at the site where the needle goes in. A comparable product is IV3000. Insulin pump companies seem to prefer this one for some reason. I'm allergic to it though, so I use the Tegaderm now to prevent my continuous glucose sensor that goes with my pump from flopping around and catching on my clothes.

[kitkatz]

I made them clean it every time I was there with a catheter.

[paddbear0000]

When I first started dialysis, they changed it every treatment as it was their protocol. I quickly started doing it myself because I was tired of reminding them to wear a mask or change gloves after a previous patient. I figured it was safer if I did it myself. And it was. When I started at my outpatient clinic last month, they argued with me about doing it themselves, and since the clinic is owned by the hospital where I was first dialyzing, they seemed to need to be reminded too. Well wouldn't you know it. Within 3 days, I had an infection from my catheter and just finished my iv antibiotics that I had to get for an hour every day after dialysis!!

[justatech]

I'm sorry that you have to go through this, but your comment "quickly started doing it myself because I was tired of reminding them to wear a mask or change gloves after a previous patient. I figured it was safer if I did it myself." has me horrified. You actually had to remind your tech/rn to wear a mask, or change their gloves! I guess that is what I guess for assuming that hand hyiene is standard!

[hurlock1]

I had a fistulagram and they used a Tegaderm on the site. It appeared to have an orange cast (color)  There were no instructions about the bandage. I just left it on till the next day before dialysis. When I did pull the Tegaderm bandage off, it pulled my skin off. I still have a small patch of scab on my arm, and it's been a month. It was painful, not really painful, but sort of painful. I'm wondering if there's a special way to take the Tegaderm bandage off?

[Zach]

I'm wondering if there's a special way to take the Tegaderm bandage off?

Very carefully! 

[Loretta]

I take in my own bandage because the ones my unit has right now are horrible.  They are twice as big as they need to be and Where ever the touch my skin I get a hot red rash.