capd exit site infection

[Panda_9]

I didnt use alcowipes, just some gauze and antibacterial soap in the shower.

[angieskidney]

I dont know why they would say its ok to get a permacath wet since water is a huge carrier of germs. If you get it wet, do you clean it with antiseptic and redress it? That is a long time to have one without getting an infection!

Well I must be doing something right cuz I have had this for just about a whole year exactly! But at first I did have to have it bandanged even though I don't need to now. But I am getting it removed soon. This is for hemo though. My PD catheter also didn't have to be covered. But the permcath since it goes to my heart I have to be very careful. I must use clorhexidine on it (is that how it is spelled??) and in the shower I have to use antibacterial soap and wash it first and work down so no bad dirty water gets too it.

[Panda_9]

We werent allowed to get any water on the permacath. The nurses re-dressed it every dialysis day, and I would redress it at home myself if it bled or came unstuck. I had dressing packs and chlorhexidine, and of course used aseptic technique. If someone else dresses it they are supposed to wear sterile gloves.
Of course with the PD catheter, we had to wash it in the shower.

[jdat]

Maybe someone already said this but if a peritonitis isn't treated carefully it can potentially put your peritoneum in an unusable shape.

Yes this means if the peritonitis isn't under control your peritoneum might become too fragile to even consider continueing PD now ( temporarilly ) and in the future.
So it's very important to try and get every test possible and if necessary stay in the hospital longer than you would like.

I was lucky not to have any infection issues while I was on PD for a little over a year but I did start having problems with bad scabbing around the exit site and had to clean the area with some antibiotic product for a week or so and things came back in order.

hi amber,  i know this is a stupid question but it has been bugging me,    how the heck do you get the sticky glue off of your skin after you remove the tape?  It is driving me crazy, my stomach looks like a friggin road map, lol,   any suggestions anyone?

Use Betadine or whatever you use to clean around the exit site to clean up your cath if there is any sticky stuff on there.

For the more persistant stickyness on your skin you might be able to get some ether ( that's what I was prescribed ), or possibly the other things that were already recommended but as they are very strong products ( this also applies to ether ) try and avoid any contact with the catheter as it is very fragile and doesn't like strong products.

[angieskidney]

Use Betadine or whatever you use to clean around the exit site to clean up your cath if there is any sticky stuff on there.

For the more persistant stickyness on your skin you might be able to get some ether ( that's what I was prescribed ), or possibly the other things that were already recommended but as they are very strong products ( this also applies to ether ) try and avoid any contact with the catheter as it is very fragile and doesn't like strong products.

My nurses don't use Betadine because they say it dries the skin out.

It is amazing how different hospitals are to each other   When I used to go thru a hospital 4 hrs up north (Toronto) they always used Betadine but that was back in 1990!

[jdat]

Well what do they use? biseptine ( I am taking a wild guess here )??

I thought iodine was the best thing.

Btw it's betadine scrub to cleanup that general area under the dressing and the tubing, and regular ( strong ) betadine right around the exit point.

First I have ever heard about it drying out the skin .... I never felt like that was an issue. And yes every hospital does things differently it drives me crazy.
Take for example the last couple weeks when I was being transplanted.
The first hospital that did the actual transplant and intensive care unit stuff and some mild follow up for a couple days didn't have me wear a mask but as soon as I was transferred to the second hospital for the follow up period it was lock down! Must wear a mask each time you leave the service and you go outside etc.

[angieskidney]

Well what do they use? biseptine ( I am taking a wild guess here )??

I thought iodine was the best thing.

Btw it's betadine scrub to cleanup that general area under the dressing and the tubing, and regular ( strong ) betadine right around the exit point.

First I have ever heard about it drying out the skin .... I never felt like that was an issue. And yes every hospital does things differently it drives me crazy.
Take for example the last couple weeks when I was being transplanted.
The first hospital that did the actual transplant and intensive care unit stuff and some mild follow up for a couple days didn't have me wear a mask but as soon as I was transferred to the second hospital for the follow up period it was lock down! Must wear a mask each time you leave the service and you go outside etc.

Ya it is hard when they look at you like if you don't do things THEIR way then you must be insane or a noncompliant rebel... like you are bad or something doing things wrong ...

They use Chlorhexidine here in my city.

[Panda_9]

I used antibacterial hand wash that you buy from the supermarket. I had to be in a pump pack, and you couldnt refill it, it had to be a new pump pack each time. I just used the blue chlorhex and gauze to clean and dress it after washing the site in the shower.