Dressings

Starting dialysis taught me that I'm slightly allergic to the latex in the tape and site dressing – which is fun!

I can not escape the dressings and tape as I have to protect my exit site & anchor the tube so I have found a few tips to help.

Once a week I give my skin a break from all the dressings and tape. Germolene is excellent for the irritation you get from the constant adding and removing of the dressing & tape; but (not only does it make you smell like a School Nurse's Office) it makes your skin too greasy to then hold the tape, etc. So I use;

Mepilex Border Lite Dressings


(Sorry for the picture but I had just thrown the box away – doh!)

This is much softer on the skin and so can be used while the germolene is working on the irritations. They are sticky all over, so make sure you put a swab over the exit site to protect it.

I also have a PD Belt which I use during the day. It keeps the dressing and tape to a minimum.

However, I have found that the belt does not work during the night as it kept putting kinks in my line. It was also uncomfortable to lay on.

Germolene, savlon, the dressing and the PD belt are all available on prescription.

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