Moving from CAPD to APD

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Dibs
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:29 pm
Location: Somerset

Moving from CAPD to APD

Post by Dibs »

Hello all.
I've always said that I wanted to do overnight PD because it appears to be less invasive on work and social life. I recently had the catheter inserted and am expecting to start dialysis in January. They have said that I will start doing manual exchanges before moving on to CAPD. My question is how long do you need to do the manual method before moving to overnight? Some of the nurses at the unit have suggested that I would need to do the manual ones for weeks if not months first.
wagolynn
Posts: 1362
Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 2:49 pm

Re: Moving from CAPD to APD

Post by wagolynn »

Hi Dibs,
Thinking about my daughters change from PD to APD (she is now on Haemodialysis), she was about two months on manual PD. The strategy appeared to be, a) get the patients bloods stabilised, b) get the dialysate correct (there are several types, selected on what the patient needs to get bloods and fluid at the correct levels), c) get the patient competent and confident on manual (manual is the fall-back if there are any problems with the equipment for APD).

To keep the manual period as short as possible, I would think you need to be very good, and do exactly as you are told. :?

Good luck.
SKM23435
Posts: 289
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 2:39 pm

Re: Moving from CAPD to APD

Post by SKM23435 »

I think it must also depend on patient and unit.
I went strait onto APD. I was never trained how to do CAPD.

Sue
Started APD July 2014
On transplant and paired exchange lists.
Transplant 9/5/15
MandyA
Posts: 185
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2010 6:45 pm

Re: Moving from CAPD to APD

Post by MandyA »

Hello,

You can start training to dialyse at home two weeks after your catheter is inserted.

At my hospital, the Royal London, there was a waiting list for training places, and they prioritised patients with lower eGFRs to train first.

I waited four weeks after my catheter was inserted before beginning my training.

They said the training might take up to two weeks. However, I completed it in one and a half days (which was a record for the unit).

I never learned how to do CAPD, I went straight on to APD. This may have been influenced by the fact that I was working full time as a teacher at the time.

Good luck,

Mandy
rheaybou
Posts: 1381
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:04 am
Location: Doncaster

Re: Moving from CAPD to APD

Post by rheaybou »

I started APD less than a week after having my cath operation and learned while in hospital how to do this method before CAPD.

Looking back learning the CAPD method first would have helped make it less complicated/shock. It's all in the method you are taught and how you adjust it to what's better for you. Be prepared to wash your hands lots and lots. Good luck.
Now 35 with Alports and I had my first kidney-versary 18th feb 2013....I hope to have many more.

My living donor and his family are doing all well.

==
Alports.
chrisb
Posts: 275
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 4:57 pm
Location: gloucestershire

Re: Moving from CAPD to APD

Post by chrisb »

At my unit they put you straight off on to the machine. You are not taught the manual way on the basis that they say if the machine goes wrong, Baxterley will replace it the next day. Do not know if it works in practice.
Dibs
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:29 pm
Location: Somerset

Re: Moving from CAPD to APD

Post by Dibs »

Thanks for all the replies. Four weeks tomorrow since my catheter was inserted. I have to wait a bit longer than normal because I had an umbilical hernia repair at the same time.

I have spoken to the home dialysis nurse since I posted this. They want me to start manual exchanges at the hospital on 4th Jan. They also hope to start CAPD training that week. What I end up on at the end of that week could depend on when I get all my equipment delivered.
MandyA
Posts: 185
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2010 6:45 pm

Re: Moving from CAPD to APD

Post by MandyA »

During my time on APD, I had both Baxter and Fresenius machines.

I never had any problems with the Fresenius machine.

However, I did have the Baxter machine replaced several times.

I had a 24 hour helpline number in the UK to call if there were any problems. This was always answered quickly. After giving a brief description of the problem, a technician would call back within 20 minutes to talk me through what to do/ organise a replacement machine. During the day, they called back from England, and at night they called back from the USA.

Replacement machines, if required, were always delivered within 24 hours, and often on the same day.

Mandy
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