Do:
- Check your access daily. Wash your hands with soap and water before touching the access site.
- Look for redness or swelling.
- Feel for a pulsing or buzzing feeling. Your care team might also call this a “thrill.”
- Listen for a whooshing or buzzing sound. Your care team might also call this a “bruit” (pronounced brew-wee).
- Let dialysis team know if you notice any difference.
- Exercise your arm at least 3 times a day.
- Wear loose clothing around your access.
- Keep your access arm clean and moist. Use a skin moisturizer (lotion).
- Tell people not to take blood or blood pressure from your access arm.
- Tell people not to put an IV in your access arm.
- Wear an armband that say “no needles or BP on this arm”.
- Watch your blood pressure. Ask your doctor what is a good blood pressure for you. Let the dialysis team know if your BP is lower or higher than recommended.
- Wash your access site prior to each dialysis treatment.
- Call the doctor or nurse with any concerns or questions.
- Don’t leave your pressure dressing on overnight after dialysis: Ask your care team what time you should remove your pressure dressing.
Don’t:
- Don’t Apply Pressure: Avoid wearing tight clothing, watches, or bracelets on the access arm.
- Do not sleep on your access arm.
- Do not strike or cut your access arm.
- Do not take, or let anyone else take, blood or blood pressure from your access arm.
- Do not let anyone put an IV in your access arm.
- Do not scratch or pick the skin of your access arm. It could cause an infection.
- Do not let your access arm get dirty.
- Don’t let animals touch the access site: Licking and scratching by animals leads to infection or damage to the access site.
To Learn More
- Dialysis Unit
206-987-3985 - After hours, weekends and holidays call the hospital at 206-987-2000 and ask for the nephrologist on call.
- Ask your child’s healthcare provider
- seattlechildrens.org/patient-education
Free Interpreter Services
- In the hospital, ask your nurse.
- From outside the hospital, call the toll-free Family Interpreting Line, 1-866-583-1527. Tell the interpreter the name or extension you need.
