Just got pd cath 2 weeks ago and have a question

[lynnrlpd1]

I just got my pd cath two weeks ago.  The nurse has changed the dressing twice, the second time yesterday.  Now I am suppose to do it every day so today I am changing it and I notice iit is a little red around the site bit not oozing or anything like that just a little red around the site.  Now yesterday when she did it iI didn't notice the red but I couldn't see it as well because she was doing it.  I called and she said to watch it and call if it gets any worse but I'm worried because I'm deathly afraid of infections.  That is why I switched from hemo clinic to pd because I was tired of chest cath infections.  Anyway is that normal for this time.  Will the redness eventually go away.

Thanks lynn

[Joe]

It is normal for you to see some red around your exit site. It will go away after a while. Just keep an eye on it and keep it clean, you'll do fine. I kept mine covered with a dressing and the Gentimyacin (sp?) cream for about the first month. It's been ok for a year and a half now.

[JLM]

One of the things I got when training was a little book that pictured what to watch for at your exit site.  It is normal to see a little red around the catheter.  ANYTIME you have a concern, check with your nurse.  They would rather reassure you if nothing is wrong than have you wait until you are in trouble.

[smcd23]

Hubby's PD cath used to always be a little red and always have a little crusting and occasionally a little blood on the bandage (little like picking a scab little) probably from over doing it during the day, or from our kid getting him in the tube etc. That ended up being his "normal" His red was always just around the exit site. Keep an eye on it, and call if you are concerned, but you will probably find that your "normal" appearance will have a little red to it.

And to help ease your mind, hubby went almost 3 years without an infection and his clinic said the average person goes about 18 months infection free. As long as you keep it clean and are good while hooking up etc you should do fine.

[justme15]

I agree with what everyone  has said already.  Other signs that it might be infected are pain and yellow/green discharge from the exit site.

[lynnrlpd1]

Thanks for all the replies.  I guess the nurse is stressing me a little because she thought it was too red and it does have a little scab there every day too.  I don't see how it could ever get better looking as it has that germacide antibiotic cream every day and when you have a scab it never heals as long as it is moist because it can't dry off and fall off.  It just keeps making a new scab everyday. 

[smcd23]

Thanks for all the replies.  I guess the nurse is stressing me a little because she thought it was too red and it does have a little scab there every day too.  I don't see how it could ever get better looking as it has that germacide antibiotic cream every day and when you have a scab it never heals as long as it is moist because it can't dry off and fall off.  It just keeps making a new scab everyday. 

Seriously, don't sweat it. My husbands looked exactly as you described for the 2+ years he had it. And he wasn't religious about antibiotic ointment. Keep in mind your skin will never fuse to the tube completely, and any movement or activity can cause it to rub and get irritated around the tube, which will cause a little bleeding/oozing, scabbing etc. Really as long as you are changing the bandage and keeping the area clean (my husband didn't always wear a gauze over it because he is allergic to the tape adhesive) you will do okay. The nurses I think all have an idea of what it *should* look like and can't accept that there are variations within normal range. Hubby's last PD nurse was like that, everything was a big deal, but the nurse he started off with who went to another clinic had told him his exit site was normal even though it wasn't textbook. Make sense?

[adairpete]

I've had mine for almost 3 years and it's still a little red-sometimes more so than others, but it's never been infected.  It'll ooze and crust for time to time, too, and a couple times it even bled, which really freaked me out.  Turns out that was because the skin around the exit site was so dry from cleaning it all the time, it cracked and bled, so now I'm not so vigilant about the dressing change.  More worrisome signs of exit site infection are tenderness/pain in that area from what my nurse said, but it's good to be overly cautious rather than not cautious enough.