Dialysis Access Care: Bleeding, Swelling or Fever Near the Site and When to Report It

It is a small ritual most people on hemodialysis develop without being told: sleeve pushed up at the bathroom sink, two fingers resting over the forearm, waiting for the familiar buzz. Some mornings a bruise from Tuesday’s needles looks a shade darker. Some mornings the skin feels warmer than the other arm. The question that follows is always the same. Is this something, or is this nothing?

That question deserves a clear answer, because the dialysis access site infection signs that matter are not mysterious once you know what to look for, and because the access is doing more work than any other part of the body. Blood moves through it at a rate no ordinary vein handles, several times a week, through skin that has been punctured hundreds of times.

This explainer walks through what normal healing looks like, which changes in bleeding, swelling or temperature should prompt a phone call, and which ones should prompt a trip to emergency care. The decisions stay with your kidney team; the noticing starts with you.

What a dialysis access is, and why the site gets so much attention

A dialysis access is the point on the body where blood leaves for the dialysis machine and returns cleaned. For hemodialysis there are three kinds. A fistula is made by a surgeon who joins an artery directly to a vein, usually in the forearm or upper arm, so the vein enlarges and toughens under the higher pressure. A graft does the same job with a soft synthetic tube sewn between an artery and a vein when the person’s own veins are too small. A catheter is a flexible tube threaded into a large vein in the neck or chest, with two openings that sit outside the skin. Peritoneal dialysis uses a fourth kind: a catheter placed through the abdominal wall so fluid can be run into and out of the belly.

Every one of these is a deliberate opening in the body’s best defense, the skin. A fistula or graft is punctured with two needles at each session, typically three times a week according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). A catheter never closes at all. Blood flow through a working fistula is high, so problems announce themselves fast.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes bloodstream infections as one of the most serious complications for people on dialysis and a leading reason they end up in hospital. The access is where nearly all of those infections begin. That is the whole reason units ask you to wash the arm before every treatment, why staff wear masks when they connect a catheter, and why a spot of redness that would be trivial on a healthy elbow is taken seriously here.

Knowing which access you have shapes what to watch. A fistula carries the lowest infection risk because there is nothing foreign under the skin. A graft sits in between. A catheter carries the highest risk, which is why kidney teams generally treat it as a bridge rather than a destination.

How does a dialysis access site infection start?

Most access infections begin with bacteria that already live on the skin. Staphylococcus species are the usual culprits, and they are harmless right up until they find a way beneath the surface. On a fistula or graft that way is the needle track. Each cannulation opens a channel a few millimeters wide; if the skin was not cleaned well, or the same square centimeter is punctured week after week until it thins and scars, bacteria can settle in the tunnel and in the clot that forms afterward.

Catheters offer a wider door. Bacteria can migrate along the outside of the tube from the exit site, the spot where it leaves the skin, or they can enter through the hubs when caps are opened. Once inside, they coat the plastic in a slimy protective layer called biofilm, which shields them from both the immune system and antibiotics. This is why catheter infections are often harder to control and why clinicians sometimes decide the catheter itself has to come out.

Kidney failure tilts the odds further. The immune system works less efficiently when waste products build up, skin becomes drier and more prone to cracking, and itching (common in advanced kidney disease) tempts people to scratch near the access. Wet dressings, sweat trapped under tape, and sleeping with an arm pressed against a pillow all add small risks that accumulate.

Timing helps distinguish what is happening. A localized infection tends to build over one to three days: a patch of pink becomes red, the area warms, and pressure starts to hurt. A bloodstream infection often shows up differently, as a sudden fever or shaking chills, sometimes beginning during treatment itself when a catheter is flushed and bacteria are pushed into circulation. Both routes lead back to the same instruction from every major guideline: report early, because early infections are the ones most likely to stay local.

Dialysis access site infection signs: what redness, warmth and drainage actually mean

Your kidney team looks for a cluster of changes rather than any single one, and understanding the mechanism behind each helps you describe what you see when you call.

Redness that spreads is the earliest clue. Inflammation opens tiny blood vessels near the skin surface, so the area flushes. A bruise from a needle looks purple, yellow or green and fades over days; infection looks pink or red, feels warm to the back of your hand compared with the other arm, and grows rather than shrinks. Some people find it useful to mark the edge with a skin-safe pen so the team can see whether it has advanced by the next session.

Tenderness and swelling come next. The tissue fills with fluid and immune cells, so the area feels puffy and hurts when touched or when the arm hangs down. Pus is the sign that removes all doubt: cloudy yellow, green or foul-smelling fluid draining from a needle site, a scab, or a catheter exit site means bacteria are actively multiplying.

Two signs point beyond the skin. A red streak running from the access toward the shoulder means infection is tracking along lymphatic channels. Fever, chills or feeling suddenly unwell means bacteria may have reached the bloodstream. MedlinePlus lists redness, drainage, warmth and fever together as reasons to contact your provider promptly after any access procedure.

Skin breakdown deserves its own mention. Over a fistula that has developed bulges, the skin can become shiny, thin and pale, then ulcerate. An open wound over a high-pressure vessel is an infection risk and a bleeding risk at once, and it should never be dressed at home and forgotten. Photograph it, cover it loosely with clean gauze, and let the unit see it the same day.

Fistula bleeding after dialysis: what is expected and what is not

Two needles come out at the end of every session, and each leaves a hole in a vessel carrying arterial-pressure blood. Firm, direct pressure with a gauze pad is what closes them; your unit will show you the technique and tell you how long to hold and when the site can be released and checked. That instruction matters more than any general number, because it accounts for the blood-thinning medicine used during treatment and for how your own access behaves.

A little ooze later that day, or a fresh drop of blood when the dressing is removed at home, is common and usually stops with a few minutes of pressure. A clot in the needle track can be knocked loose by rolling over in bed, a tight sleeve, or a hot shower that dilates the vessels.

Bleeding becomes a concern in three situations. The first is bleeding that does not stop despite the pressure your unit taught you, or that soaks through more than one pad. The second is bleeding that stops and restarts hours later without an obvious cause; this can signal a narrowing further along the vein that raises pressure inside the access, and the team may want imaging. The third is bleeding from a spot that was not punctured, such as a thinned patch of skin over a bulge, which is an emergency because the wall underneath may be failing.

Anticoagulant medicines, whether the heparin given on the machine or a blood thinner taken for another condition, extend how long bleeding lasts. Never stop or skip a prescribed medicine because of a bleeding episode; tell the prescribing clinician instead, since the balance of risks is theirs to weigh.

If blood is spurting or pooling, press hard with anything clean, sit or lie down, keep pressing, and have someone call emergency services. Do not release pressure to look.

Swollen dialysis fistula arm: fluid, bruising, aneurysm or a clot?

Swelling near an access has several possible causes, and where it sits tells the team a great deal.

A soft lump that appears within minutes of a needle being placed or removed is usually an infiltration, sometimes called a hematoma: the needle has passed through the vessel wall and blood has leaked into the surrounding tissue. It is painful and can look alarming, but it typically settles over one to two weeks as the body reabsorbs the blood, similar to any deep bruise. Raise the arm on a pillow and follow your unit’s advice on cool packs. Report it anyway, because a fistula with a fresh hematoma may need needles placed elsewhere for a while.

Swelling of the whole arm, sometimes with the hand puffy and veins standing out across the chest or shoulder, points to a different problem: a narrowing in the large central veins near the heart. This is more common in people who previously had a catheter in that vein. Blood returning from the arm backs up. The Mayo Clinic lists vein narrowing among the more frequent access complications, and it usually requires imaging and often a procedure to widen the vessel.

A bulge along the fistula that has grown over months is an aneurysm, a stretched section of vessel wall, or a pseudoaneurysm, a leak contained by scar tissue. These are not a sign of a strong access. If the skin over one becomes shiny, thin, pale, painful or begins to break down, it needs urgent review.

Swelling with warmth and redness raises infection back to the top of the list. Swelling with a sudden loss of the buzz suggests a clot, or thrombosis, blocking the access. And a hand that turns cold, pale or painful while the arm swells can mean the fistula is diverting too much blood away from the fingers, a condition clinicians call steal syndrome. Each of these needs a same-day conversation.

Why a fever on dialysis is never just a fever

People sometimes assume a chill after treatment is a reaction to cold dialysate or to fluid being removed. Occasionally it is. Far more often, a fever or shaking chills in someone with a dialysis access means bacteria have entered the blood, and clinicians treat it that way until proven otherwise.

Two features make fever in this group easy to miss. First, many people with kidney failure run a slightly lower baseline temperature, so a reading that looks unimpressive on a general chart can represent a meaningful rise for them. Second, symptoms can be blunted: instead of a dramatic spike, someone may simply feel washed out, achy, confused or off their food. Family members often notice the change before the person does.

Chills that begin on the machine, particularly in someone dialyzing through a catheter, are a classic pattern. Flushing the catheter can push bacteria from the biofilm inside the tube into the circulation, and the immune system responds within minutes. Staff will usually stop, take blood cultures from the line and from a separate vein, and contact the nephrologist. If this happens at home after a session, the same cultures are needed quickly, so do not wait for the next appointment.

The danger is sepsis, the body’s overwhelming and disorganized response to infection. Warning signs include a racing heart, fast breathing, low blood pressure or dizziness on standing, mottled or cool skin, new confusion, and a feeling of being frighteningly unwell. Any of these alongside a fever is a reason to call emergency services rather than the unit.

One practical point: mention the fever to your team before taking anything to bring it down, because the temperature reading and its pattern are useful clinical information. The decision about fever medicines, like every decision about antibiotics, belongs with your prescribing clinician.

Dialysis catheter infection symptoms: exit site, tunnel and bloodstream

A hemodialysis catheter is usually tunneled, meaning it runs a short distance under the skin before entering the vein, and it carries a small fabric cuff that anchors it and forms a barrier against bacteria. The exit site is where the tube emerges. Infections are described by how deep they reach.

An exit-site infection stays at the surface: redness, crusting, tenderness or drainage in the skin around the opening. A tunnel infection has moved along the path under the skin; the tract feels tender or firm when pressed, the skin over it may redden, and pus can sometimes be expressed at the exit. A catheter-related bloodstream infection is the most serious, and its signs are systemic rather than local: fever, chills, rigors (violent shaking), low blood pressure, or simply feeling profoundly unwell. The exit site can look perfectly clean during a bloodstream infection, which is why fever alone triggers cultures.

Prevention is largely about keeping the exit site dry and untouched. The CDC’s dialysis safety guidance emphasizes hand hygiene, masks for both patient and staff whenever the catheter is opened, and leaving dressing changes to trained clinicians unless you have been taught otherwise. Keep the dressing out of bath water and swimming pools; ask your team whether and how you may shower. Never pick at crusts, and never use scissors near the tube.

When infection is confirmed, the general approach involves blood cultures to identify the organism, intravenous antibiotics chosen for that organism, and a decision about the catheter itself: sometimes it is exchanged over a wire, sometimes removed with a new one placed later. Those choices depend on the bacteria, how unwell the person is, and what other access options exist, and they sit with the treating team. NIDDK guidance is consistent on the broader goal: where a fistula or graft is possible, moving away from a catheter is the most durable way to lower the risk.

Peritoneal dialysis catheter care: cloudy fluid and the exit site

Peritoneal dialysis works differently. A soft catheter passes through the abdominal wall, and a sugar-based fluid is run into the peritoneal cavity, the space around the intestines, where the body’s own lining acts as the filter. After a few hours the fluid, now carrying waste, is drained out. Because each exchange opens the system, the catheter and the belly lining are both at risk.

The infection people worry about most is peritonitis, infection of the peritoneal lining. NIDDK lists its hallmark signs: drained fluid that looks cloudy instead of clear, belly pain or tenderness, fever, and sometimes nausea. Cloudiness is the one to act on immediately, even without pain, because it means white cells have flooded the fluid to fight bacteria. Keep the cloudy bag (or a sample) so the team can culture it, and call the same day.

Exit-site infection looks much as it does for a chest catheter: redness within a centimeter or two of the opening, tenderness, crust, or pus. A tunnel infection produces pain or firmness along the tube’s path under the skin. Either can spread inward to become peritonitis, so neither is minor.

Technique prevents most problems. Wash hands thoroughly and dry them on a clean towel before every exchange; wear a mask during connections; never let the connection end touch anything; and work in a clean, closed room away from pets and fans. Anchor the catheter so it cannot tug at the exit site. Constipation can push bacteria across the bowel wall and also stops fluid draining properly, so tell the team if bowels become sluggish.

Watch also for fluid leaking around the exit site, a hernia at the belly button or groin, or a sudden drop in the amount that drains. These are mechanical rather than infectious, but each needs the team’s attention rather than a home fix.

Fistula, graft or catheter: which access is usually chosen, and who is asked to wait

Kidney teams generally aim for a fistula first, because it lasts longest and carries the lowest infection and clotting risk, a preference reflected across NIDDK, NHS and Mayo Clinic guidance. It is offered to people whose arteries and veins, checked by ultrasound vein mapping, are large and healthy enough to enlarge under the new flow. A graft is chosen when veins are too small or scarred, often after years of intravenous lines or in people with diabetes or vascular disease. A catheter is used when dialysis must begin urgently, while a fistula matures, or when no other option remains.

The waiting is where frustration lives. A new fistula needs time to mature, meaning the vein must thicken and widen enough to take two needles reliably. NIDDK puts this at roughly 2–3 months, and some fistulas need a small procedure to help them along or never mature at all. A graft can usually be used within 2–3 weeks once the swelling settles. A catheter can be used the day it goes in, which is exactly why it is so tempting and why teams try not to let it become permanent.

Access type	What it is	Typical time before first use	Relative infection risk	Early warning signs to report
Fistula	Your own artery joined to your own vein	About 2–3 months (NIDDK)	Lowest	Lost thrill, spreading redness, bulging with thin skin, prolonged needle-site bleeding
Graft	Synthetic tube between artery and vein	About 2–3 weeks (NIDDK)	Intermediate	Redness or pus over the tube, warmth, lost thrill, sudden swelling
Hemodialysis catheter	Tube in a large neck or chest vein	Immediately	Highest	Fever or chills on treatment, exit-site drainage, tunnel tenderness
Peritoneal catheter	Tube through the abdominal wall	Usually about 2 weeks after placement, per team	Depends on technique	Cloudy drained fluid, belly pain, exit-site redness

People with severe heart failure, very low blood pressure, or limited life expectancy may be steered toward a different access than the textbook order suggests. Those are individualized judgments, made by the nephrologist and surgeon together with you.

What the first weeks after access surgery usually look like

Healing follows a recognizable arc, and knowing it helps separate ordinary discomfort from a problem.

In the first few days after fistula surgery, expect soreness, mild swelling and some bruising around the incision. The arm may feel heavy. A thrill, the gentle buzz you can feel over the vein, often becomes noticeable within the first day or two and should strengthen over the following weeks as the vein remodels. Keep the incision clean and dry as instructed, avoid lifting anything heavy with that arm, and sleep with it supported rather than tucked beneath you. Some teams recommend squeezing a soft ball several times a day to encourage the vein to develop; follow their specific advice rather than a general one.

Between about the first and third week, swelling should be falling, not rising. Redness confined to the incision line that fades daily is normal; redness that spreads outward after day three, drainage from the wound, or a new fever is not, and MedlinePlus lists exactly these as reasons to call after access surgery. This is also the period when the arm acquires permanent rules: no blood pressure cuffs, no blood draws, no intravenous lines, no tight watches or sleeves on the access side.

Grafts swell more than fistulas early on, sometimes markedly, because fluid collects around the synthetic tube. That usually settles before the graft is first used at around 2–3 weeks (NIDDK). Persistent redness or warmth over the tube itself is a different matter and needs prompt review, since an infected graft often has to be removed.

From about six weeks onward, a fistula is assessed for maturity by look, feel and ultrasound. If it is developing slowly, the team may order imaging to find a narrowing that can be widened. Around 2–3 months is the typical horizon for first cannulation, but this is a range, not a promise, and some fistulas take longer or need help.

How to check fistula thrill and inspect your access every day

A daily check takes under a minute and catches most problems before a session does. Three actions: look, feel, listen.

Look at the access in good light. Compare it with the other arm. You are noting anything new: redness, a lump, a bruise, a scab that has lifted, skin that looks shiny or pale over a bulge, or drainage on the inside of a sleeve. Photographing it once a week on your phone gives you and the team a baseline that memory cannot.

Feel for the thrill, the vibration of fast blood flow. Rest two or three fingertips lightly along the vein rather than pressing hard, since pressure can dampen the buzz. It should feel continuous and even along the length of the access. A thrill that has weakened, become pulsing rather than buzzing, or vanished suggests a narrowing or a clot. Loss of thrill is a same-day call, not a note for Thursday; clots that are addressed quickly can sometimes be cleared, though outcomes depend on many factors and no one can promise that.

Listen if you can. Hold the access near your ear or use a stethoscope if the unit gave you one. The sound, called a bruit, should be a low, continuous whoosh. A high-pitched whistle can indicate narrowing.

Then protect it. Wash the access arm with soap and water before every treatment, a step the CDC’s dialysis safety program identifies as a core infection prevention measure. Do not scratch. Do not let anyone place a blood pressure cuff or draw blood from that arm. Avoid carrying heavy bags on it, and avoid sleeping with it under your head. Ask how needle sites are being rotated; some units note that repeated use of the same two spots, a technique known as buttonhole cannulation, has been linked in studies to higher infection rates, and the choice deserves a conversation.

What people often get wrong about access problems

The most common mistakes are not carelessness. They are reasonable-sounding assumptions that turn out to be wrong.

“A bruise means infection.” Almost always it does not. A needle-site bruise is purple, yellow or green, does not feel hot, and fades over days. Infection is red, warm, tender and growing. The colors are the clue.

“No fever, so the pus can wait.” Local infection frequently arrives without any fever, particularly in people whose immune response is blunted by kidney failure. Pus is pus. It needs a culture and a clinician’s eyes the same day.

“Raising my arm will stop the bleeding.” Elevation helps with swelling. Bleeding from an access is stopped by firm, direct pressure held without peeking. Lifting the arm while not pressing wastes the minutes that matter.

“The bulge shows my fistula is strong.” An aneurysm is a weakened wall, not a healthy one. It needs monitoring, and thinning or shiny skin over it needs urgent review.

“Chills after dialysis are just the machine.” Occasionally true, usually not. Chills on or after treatment are treated as a possible bloodstream infection until cultures say otherwise.

“I’ll put on the antibiotic cream from the drawer.” Applying leftover creams or ointments can hide the picture, irritate the skin, and delay proper treatment. Report the change and let the prescribing clinician decide.

“The thrill is gone, but my session is tomorrow anyway.” A clotted access is time-sensitive. Waiting a day can turn a fixable narrowing into a lost access.

“A quick shower won’t hurt the catheter dressing.” Water carries bacteria straight to the exit site. Follow your unit’s specific instructions on bathing; they vary with dressing type and catheter position.

None of these corrections require medical training. They require only that a change at the access is treated as information for the team rather than a problem to solve alone.

Questions to ask your care team

Most dialysis units run on tight schedules, and the questions that matter often surface on the drive home. Writing them down before a session, and asking them while the nurse is placing needles or the nephrologist is rounding, tends to get better answers than trying to remember them at the front desk.

On day-to-day care, useful questions include:

• How long should I hold pressure after needles come out, and at what point should I call if bleeding continues or restarts?
• Can you show me exactly where and how to feel my thrill, and what a weaker thrill would feel like?
• How are my needle sites being rotated, and is there a reason for the technique you use?
• May I shower with my catheter, and if so, how should I protect the dressing?
• Who do I call after hours if I notice redness, drainage or a fever, and what number do I use?

On the bigger picture, consider asking:

• If I have a catheter, what is the plan for moving to a fistula or graft, and what is the expected timeline?
• Has my access been checked for narrowing recently, and how often will it be monitored?
• Is the bulge on my fistula stable, and what changes in its skin would you want to know about?
• If my access became infected, what would the general approach be, and what would that mean for my treatments in the meantime?
• Are any of my current medicines affecting how long I bleed, and is that something you are already accounting for?

Bring a photo log if you keep one. A series of images taken at the same time each week is often more useful to a clinician than a description, and it turns an uncertain “it might be a bit redder” into something the team can actually assess. Every answer to these questions will be specific to your access, your medicines and your history, which is exactly why they cannot be answered by an article.

When to call your doctor: red flags near a dialysis access

The single most useful habit is a low threshold for phoning the unit. Nurses would far rather hear about a change that turns out to be nothing than meet an infection that has spread. Every dialysis center provides an after-hours number; keep it in your phone and by the sink where you do your daily check.

Call emergency services, or have someone drive you to emergency care, if you notice any of the following:

• Bleeding from the access that does not stop with firm, continuous pressure, or blood that is spurting or pooling
• Fever with shaking chills, confusion, fast breathing, dizziness, or feeling suddenly and severely unwell, which can signal sepsis
• Skin over a fistula bulge that has split, ulcerated or is bleeding
• A hand on the access side that becomes cold, pale, numb or intensely painful
• Chest pain, breathlessness or a swollen face and neck in someone with a chest catheter

Call your dialysis unit or nephrologist the same day for:

• Redness, warmth or tenderness that is spreading around a needle site, graft or catheter exit
• Any pus or cloudy drainage from the skin, or cloudy drained fluid on peritoneal dialysis
• A thrill that has weakened, become pulsing, or disappeared
• New swelling of the access, the whole arm, or the hand
• A fever without other symptoms, or a red streak tracking up the arm
• A catheter that has shifted, cracked, or whose cuff is visible

Mention it at your next session if a needle-site bruise is fading as expected, an incision is itchy but not red, or you simply want reassurance about how the access looks. Guidance from MedlinePlus, NIDDK and the CDC converges on the same principle: infection at a dialysis access is common, serious, and far more manageable when it is reported early. What happens next, from cultures to antibiotics to decisions about the access itself, is for your treating team to decide with you.

Frequently asked questions

What are the first dialysis access site infection signs I should notice?

The earliest signs are usually redness that spreads rather than fades, warmth compared with the other arm, and tenderness when the area is touched or the arm hangs down. Pus, a red streak toward the shoulder, or a fever mean the infection is established or spreading. Report the earliest changes to your unit the same day rather than waiting to see.

What dialysis catheter infection symptoms can appear without any fever?

Exit-site infections often show only local changes: redness, crusting, tenderness or drainage around the opening, with no fever at all. A tunnel infection may cause pain or firmness along the tube under the skin. Because people with kidney failure can have blunted immune responses, the absence of fever never rules infection out, so local changes still need same-day review.

Why is my dialysis fistula arm swollen all the way to the hand?

Whole-arm swelling, sometimes with visible veins across the chest, usually points to a narrowing in the large central veins near the heart, often related to a previous catheter. Blood returning from the arm backs up. This is different from a localized lump after a needle. It needs imaging and often a procedure, so contact your kidney team promptly.

How do I check my fistula thrill correctly?

Rest two or three fingertips lightly along the vein without pressing hard, and feel for a continuous buzzing vibration along the length of the access. It should feel steady, not pulsing. Do this once a day at the same time so you learn your normal. A weaker, pulsing or absent thrill should be reported the same day.

Is fistula bleeding after dialysis ever normal?

A small ooze or a fresh drop of blood when the dressing comes off later that day is common and usually stops with a few minutes of firm pressure. Bleeding that continues beyond the time your unit taught you to hold, soaks through pads, restarts hours later, or comes from unpunctured skin over a bulge is not normal and needs urgent attention.

Can I take something for a fever before calling my dialysis unit?

Tell your team about the fever first. The temperature reading and its pattern help clinicians judge whether blood cultures are needed and how urgently. Decisions about fever medicines, like all medicine decisions, belong with your prescribing clinician, who knows your kidney function and other prescriptions. Never start, stop or change a medicine on your own.

How long does an access site infection take to develop after a needle?

Local infections tend to build over one to three days: mild pink turns red, the area warms and becomes tender. Bloodstream infections can appear more suddenly, sometimes as chills during a session when a catheter is flushed. Either way, changes within a few days of cannulation or a dressing change are worth reporting rather than watching.

What does cloudy fluid mean on peritoneal dialysis?

Cloudy drained fluid usually means peritonitis, an infection of the lining around the intestines, because white blood cells have flooded the fluid. NIDDK lists cloudy fluid, belly pain and fever as the key signs. Keep the cloudy bag or a sample for culture and call your team the same day, even if you feel otherwise well.

Why do kidney teams prefer a fistula over a catheter?

A fistula uses only your own artery and vein, so there is nothing foreign under the skin for bacteria to colonize, and it tends to last longer with fewer clots. A catheter sits permanently open to the outside and carries the highest infection risk, which is why NIDDK and the CDC describe it as a bridge rather than a long-term plan where alternatives exist.

Should I put antibiotic cream on a red area near my access?

No. Applying leftover creams can irritate the skin, obscure how the area is changing, and delay a proper culture and treatment. Cover the area loosely with clean gauze if it is draining, photograph it, and contact your unit the same day. Whether antibiotics are needed, and which kind, is a decision for your treating clinician.

References

• NIDDK (NIH): Hemodialysis
• NIDDK (NIH): Peritoneal Dialysis
• MedlinePlus: Hemodialysis access procedures
• CDC: Dialysis Safety

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.