Kidney Patient Guide

Hi everyone,

Just a quick question for the PD patients: How do you guys secure your tube? Do you all leave them hanging or tucked into your pocket?
At the moment I'm still using plasters to cover the exit site and I use another large plaster as a makeshift pouch to hold the end of the tube by cutting a slit on either side. The only thing is all these plasters are making my skin a bit itchy and sore (sweat rash thanks to the heat here) and I'm looking for another solution to give my skin a bit of a break. My nephrologue said that some people sow themselves a kind of belt to use and perhaps I could do one for me... But I have no idea how to go about that really. Anyone have any suggestions?

Colette

Hi,

I was having the same problem, my skin was so sore it was bleeding.

Now all I do is cover the site then tuck my catheter into my knickers. This seems to be working very well.

Dotty.

Hi There,

When I was on dialysis I was using small-ish mepore dressings. Cutting 2 slits and pushing the PD catheter in to the slitted area. I never had any issue with itching/bleeding. Are you using normal plasters?

J

I'm using medipore dressings like you. It's just under the sticky parts really that are itchy. It's prob just sweat rashes. It's hard for that part of the skin to breathe as it's either under these dressings or its got hydrofilms on them when I'm showering. I try to give it a good clean during my dressing changes by using anti adhesive wipes and disinfectant but obviously not doing a good enough job.

I may try dotty's method a couple of days a week to allow it to breathe and give it a break.

You see this is another thing I don't understand. When I was on dialysis (2002-04), I showered without any dressings on at all. I was told, as long as the water was running down over the exit site, then this was not a problem as long as after showering the exit site was completely dry. Which I did with the blue paper towels provided by Baxter healthcare. Then applied dressings, so I guess this meant the area was not drying out and prone to rashes etc as you describe.I would shower and wash the area in hibiscrub, which later on I was told I could use normal shower gel. Maybe thats why I didn't get any serious rashes etc. Just to add, baths without dressings were not adviseable at all.

Thinking moves on - my thought is that infections are more aggressive now as doctors have been giving anti-biotics out like smarties for years now.

Given the bean counting at the NHS, there's no way they'd start to give out free dressings unnecessarily without research to back up the thinking.

Just to add, I'm doing all this in France so practises may be different between the 2 countries anyway.
Oh no I'm not allowed to get it wet at all. Just after the operation I spent 24 days sink-washing myself before they would even give me hydrofilms to shower!! That shower was probably the highlight of my life, I tell you! I've been told baths are a big no no at the moment, but I do shower regularly. This morning I took the medpore dressing that carries the tube off (leaving just the dressings over the exit site) and it's feeling a lot better. A lot less itchy thankfully! I'll leave it off for the rest of the day and then put another one later when I'm changing my dressings.

I had my catheter fitting in April, and no showers for 3 weeks. That first one is heaven!
But I am now able to shower and remove all dressings, was just told to pat dry. Then use the wipes, cream and apply a new dressing.
I find the problem is the tape needed to secure the end of the catheter not the exit site itself.

Dotty.

My experience is the same as Dotty's.
No showers for 3 weeks (that was a hardship) then shower with no dressings, pat dry with paper towel. I still use an alcohol wipe because it feels so refreshing on the skin before putting a new mepore on top. I have been using a second mepore for the loose end and experimenting with its position, which has helped. I think the knickers idea sounds good and am going to give it a try.

I think every unit has it's own different policies on these things.

Ah yeah, forgot about the alcoholic wipes!

My doctor gave me new dressings. He said I could be allergic to the mepore dressings. I said I would give them ago because they are waterproof dressings so I could shower with them directly but I'm still itchy. Might have to see about a antihistamine if it is an allergic reaction.

I envy you guys being able to shower without dressings! I'm told after 3 months (so end of july) I should be dressings-free. Not entirely sure how I feel about seeing the exit sight on a daily basis haha so far it's all covered up so I can forget about it.

I guess it does all depend on where you live and what your practice suggests, however in the UK we are provided with waterproof dressings which can be used in the bath or to go swimming, I find these a godsend as I love swimming. They are a sort of pouch where you curl your tub into it! Might be worth enquiring whether your hospital can provide you with these? If its not something they currently do they might consider it?

I used to do just the same Dotty and I never got sore, always used Mepore dressings though and made sure my skin was really dry before sticking it on.......also tucked the tube in my knickers! Looks like I may well be returning to PD after 4+ years with transplant so I am really gonna need you guys now x

Just an update.
Things are a lot better with the area now. I'm back to wearing dressings because I pulled the tube out a bit so had to get that fixed and its not quite healed yet. But the mepore dressings are definitely the best. I also go with the tube in my pants look. Always a bit awkward if it falls out (has happened once when I was in a rush and didn't do it properly)

It's pretty weird that having the tube is just like having another body part. I'm so desensitized to it these days haha. I was even in a bikini on holidays quite the thing. If someone had said that to me in May I wouldn't have believed it!

Glad to hear things are going so well, and yay to you for wearing a bikini.

It's amazing how quickly we can adapt to the unthinkable!

Dotty x