The influence of hygienic practices to the exit site/tunnel on peritoneal catheter infections

In Peritoneal Dialysis (PD), correct handling of the equipment and especially of the catheter exit site are essential. The PD nurse is responsible for preparing the patient to be able to carry out self care. As there are no universally accepted procedures for catheter care, we evaluated the procedure recommended in our unit, to identify the level of achievement by our patients and compare it with the infection incidences of exit site/tunnel (ES/T). 31 patients were surveyed on aspects related with hygiene, care and support of the catheter. This was complemented with a direct observation of the way of fixing and protecting the catheter and exit site, relating these facts with the incidence of infection. The results show the incidence of the infection is similar to data from other centres. It seems that the non compliance with the recommendations is due to either a misunderstanding on the patients' part or difficulty to adapt these recommendations to their particular way of life.