Is this common?

[Annig83]

Hi All-
As some of you may have read, I had to have two CT's done of my catheter... there appears to be some type of skin irritation, or infection, or something around the cath site.  The skin has almost bubbled? and split on one side of the site.  The nurses at my center have never seen something like this and did a swab of the area to see if it's an actual infection or what. 

I am scheduled to see a surgeon in a week or two to determine if the cath. needs to be moved to another spot to aide in the healing of my skin.

Has anyone else had to have their cath. moved?  Is this common?

[Riki]

it sounds like an exit site infection to me...  the PD room at the old centre had a poster that showed a healthy exit site, and then had different pictures of what an infected site might look like.. some of them were kind of gross

[lmunchkin]

Sounds like an infection to me.  Are you running a fever?  Is anything oohsing from the site?
Stay on top of it Anng!  Peritonitis is an awful thing for those doing PD.

God Bless,
lmunchkin

[Annig83]

No none of those things... that's why I asked if anyone else has had their catheter moved because of just simple skin irritation... I have clear fluid, no fever, no oozing, nothing.  It's just split skin and redness...  No stomach pain, nothing...

[Joe]

Interesting situation. I've had my PD team warn me about exit site infections, but those usually come with weeping or some kind of seepage. It doesn't sound like you have any f that. I'll be curious to hear what the final determination of cause is. Good luck Amanda hope it turns out to be a relatively simple cure.

[Annig83]

So... you are all so smart!  It's an infection!!  I am SOOOOO lucky to have not had peritinitis from this!  I am actually quite angry about this.  This has been going on for over 2 months, and my neph. has just chalked it up to my cuff sliding out... two months?  Really?  To finally get it swabbed and checked out?  I've seen him 3 times, my primary, and an ER doctor, and none of them had it swabbed and sent out for potenial infection.
One bacteria is staph , the other is something the nurse couldn't even pronounce, but she told me that it's becoming more common in PD patients at the exit site.

I think that I've kept it at bay with Gentamicin cream for the time being.  I am now on Vincomicin, and another oral antibiotic to kill the infection.  My nurse told me that if the one rarer one had gotten into my blood stream, I could have had a blood infection, that could have affected my heart, and possibly killed me.... I am very upset by this.  I'm uncertain if I should persue this further with legal action...granted it may be caught in time to stop the infection, but after seeing all these doctors and not having anything done, it makes me wonder if I have a case?  I've been doing everything I'm supposed to, and yet they still hadn't done anything till now...
I see a surgeon next week.  I hope I don't lose my site?