What is peritoneal dialysis?
Another task of dialysis is to remove excess water from the body – the specialist refers to this as ultrafiltration. This is why most dialysis solutions contain glucose (sugar). Through a simple osmotic process, water also migrates into the dialysis solution during peritoneal dialysis, allowing it to be removed from the body.
When do you perform peritoneal dialysis?
What do you do during peritoneal dialysis?
There are different variants of peritoneal dialysis:
In continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), the abdominal cavity is constantly filled with two to two and a half liters of dialysis fluid. Four to five times a day, the patient or a caregiver manually changes all the irrigation fluid (“bag change”).
Peritoneal dialysis as home dialysis
Home dialysis allows the patient to flexibly arrange his schedule according to his needs. However, home dialysis involves a great deal of personal responsibility. In addition, with peritoneal dialysis there is a risk of infection at the exit site or in the abdominal cavity due to the catheter being permanently located in the abdominal cavity.
What are the risks of peritoneal dialysis?
Last but not least, the catheter in the abdominal wall is a potential entry point for germs that could cause peritonitis. This must be treated immediately. To prevent peritonitis, it is essential that peritoneal dialysis patients adhere to the following advice:
- The overriding principle when changing bags is absolute cleanliness. This means that all parts and utensils must be kept sterile to prevent infection.
If the skin is not irritated, it is sufficient to change the bandage every one or two days. The area is first disinfected, then dried with sterile swabs and bandaged again. Daily showering is also no problem. Afterwards, however, the catheter exit site must be re-bandaged. If the skin around the catheter exit site is reddened, patients should see a doctor.
