Peritoneal Dialysis Access

    With peritoneal dialysis, there is only one type of access. The PD catheter is a hollow, flexible tube that is surgically placed in the lower abdomen. There is a small piece of tubing that is left outside the body that can easily be covered. The healing time from the procedure is usually 2 days, but can be longer depending on the patient. Once the catheter is fully healed, the nurse will begin to teach the patient how to hook up themselves to the PD machine in order to perform dialysis from their home. A buried catheter is also an option. The only major difference is that the small end of the tubing is left under the skin until the start of treatment. When the tube is exposed, there is no downtime, and dialysis may begin. The buried catheter is usually an option suggested by the doctor if dialysis needs to be started immediately. 

    In order to take care of the peritoneal catheter/insertion site good hygiene, protecting the catheter site, and inspecting the site daily for infections should be practiced. Patients on PD should follow a long-term care program to decrease the risk of infection. These steps include frequent hand washing, keeping the access site dry, washing the access site, using sterile techniques during hooking up to the machine, and no picking at scabs near/around the access site. If infection were to occur, immediate steps must be followed in order to prevent a worsening infection. 

    Some patients are not able to receive peritoneal dialysis due to the port that is put into place. People with Irritable Bowel Disease, Diverticulitis, abdomen problems, abdominal hernias, and large scars are most likely not able to receive peritoneal dialysis. The advantages of having a peritoneal dialysis catheter in place are that it is an outpatient procedure, no needles are used, and dialysis can then be performed at home. The disadvantages are that you may not be able to swim/bathe with a peritoneal dialysis catheter and that the risk of infection is increased if proper precautions are not followed. Overall, there are benefits to both PD access and hemodialysis access. Both require involvement in one's health and management of the access sites. 



Sources: 
Azura Vascular Care. (2017, August 8). Everything You Need to Know About a
     Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter. Azura Vascular Care.
     https://www.azuravascularcare.com/infodialysisaccess/
     peritoneal-dialysis-catheter/

Getting a Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter. (n.d.). Fresenius Kidney Care.
     https://www.freseniuskidneycare.com/treatment/peritoneal-dialysis/pd-access#tabs

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