Whatever Works.....

[JLM]

Staying a hotel for two night and didn't bring the heating pad.  About 15 minutes before starting an exchange I put the solution bag in the basin and fill the sink with hot water.  Even though the stopper didn't hold the water in, the bag acted to slow down the water draining, after 6 7 minutes I mixed the contents of the bag and refilled the basin with more hot water.  Within 10 - 15 minutes the bag was warm and then I wrapped it in a hand towel.   I also bring one or two short bungee cords.  I looped  it over the clothes rack to hang the solution bag and scale. 

[wbdoug]

Good idea! I will keep that in mind for the future. For hanging the scale I pack some zip ties with my supplies.

Bill

[willowtreewren]

That's using your head! 

Aleta

[tbarrett2533]

you can nuke them, eventhough "they" (whoever 'they' is) says that you are not suppose to 

[JLM]

The room was devoid of such modern appliances.  And it was a Holiday Inn.......go figger, eh?

[Joe]

The way it was explained to me is that 'they' don't want us warming solution in the microwave because it can cause a hot spot. Should that get in, it could damage the peritoneum instantly ending a person's ability to do PD. My dialysis nurse said it would be better to put the bag in cold than use a MW to heat it up. My line of thinking would be you could heat it and as long as you swished it around well to mix, it should be ok. I do like the idea of heating with hot water in the sink as a backup. As I'm doing CCPD now, I heat my 2L bag for my afternoon fill on my cycler. Takes about 10-15 minutes and I don't have a problem.
JMHO-YMMV

[brandywine]

I don't even know where my heating pad is anymore. Whenever I have to do manual, I always do it room temperature, but it also has never bothered me to do that. I've heard it's painful for some.

[HouseOfDialysis]

Room temp is fine for me. In fact, I'm doing manuals this Saturday since I'll be away from my cycler.

[JLM]

I was doing the "room temp" exchanges while at the hotel for the first day, but then I wanted to be pampered.  So I figured out a way to heat the bags in a simple way.  Then I shared it with others.  It's pleasant to pamper oneself occasionally, God knows we all deserve it.

[brandywine]

I was doing the "room temp" exchanges while at the hotel for the first day, but then I wanted to be pampered.  So I figured out a way to heat the bags in a simple way.  Then I shared it with others.  It's pleasant to pamper oneself occasionally, God knows we all deserve it.

What is sad is that we think heating up dialysis solution is "pampering ourselves." JLM-Go treat yourself to a massage! THAT is pampering. 

[fearless]

microwaving might allow toxins from the plastic to enter the solution more easily - especially through the tubing, which is heated more without fluid in it to dissipate the heat.  Even so, i have heated bags in the microwave.  Just under heat rather than overheat, and, from the National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC): "Most solution bags come in a protective outer wrapper that allows for microwave heating. Do not microwave a bag of solution after it has been removed from its wrapper because microwaving can change the chemical makeup of the solution."

also - you should NOT put your solution bags in water (unless maybe they are still inside the waterproof bag, and you're sure that bag is completely waterproof.)  Water is a pathway for contamination!  Hotel sinks are filled with germs.  If you put a bag (which is still inside it's waterproof wrapper) in a sink of water, be sure to be very careful when you remove it from the outer wrapper - cut the outer bag open, then wash your hands, then pull the inner bag out without letting it touch the outer bag as much as possible.

Be careful PD friends!

[bevvy5]

I find this discussion about not using a microwave really interesting.  Here in our PD unit, they use a microwave all the time and basically instruct on how to do it.

Maybe it's a Canadian thing.

[Joe]

That is interesting, bevvy5. I will have to ask my PD nurse about it again.

[mcclane]

I find this discussion about not using a microwave really interesting.  Here in our PD unit, they use a microwave all the time and basically instruct on how to do it.

Maybe it's a Canadian thing.

When i was on pd, that's how they taught me too, to use a microwave to heat up the pd bag.  Only on vacation did I use an electric blanket, other than that, I used a nuker whenever possible - cavaet is, don't over nuke it or you wind up cooking the sugary solution.

I asked about filling up a sink with hot water but my unit advised against it, something to do with bacteria growth or something like that.  But, they said you can use a hot water bottle and sandwich the pd bag in between.

[fearless]

In 2003, when I trained for PD, I was taught to microwave the bags.  Then, about 5 years later, I was told not to nuke them anymore.  (I wasn't told why)