Thriving with Kidney Disease by Walter A. Hunt

Author:Walter A. Hunt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Published: 2021-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Fistulas and grafts use needles with larger internal diameters than catheters, which allows the blood to move faster through the dialyzer; however, the access must be protected from excessive damage and infection. This is difficult to do when you’re having dialysis three days a week, indefinitely. Keep the access clean and don’t wear tight clothes around it. For the dialysis treatment, there is a way to avoid puncturing a fistula in many places. Using what is called the buttonhole technique, a dialysis technician or nurse can insert a blunt needle in the same spot every time, rather than using a different location with each session. Although there is a reduced pain with inserting needles in one spot, there is an increased risk of infection if the site is not properly cleaned.6 If the buttonhole technique is not used, the injection site can be numbed using a local anesthetic prior to inserting the needles.

FIGURE 6.14. Graft Joining an Artery and a Vein

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