Preparing and Performing PD Treatments

A clean environment is important

Germs can cause infections and are found on your skin and clothing. Antiseptic solutions can kill germs whereas regular soaps cannot. Carefully wash and dry your hands as instructed by your healthcare provider before handling your catheter to help protect it and your exit site from germs.

Importance of handwashing

Handwashing is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself from germs and keep yourself healthy.

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Treatment: Connecting and disconnecting

Learn about the steps before connecting and disconnecting

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Prepare your work area

The work area where you do your PD treatment should:

Be well lit
Be away from any drafts
Be away from open windows
Have all fans turned off
Be free of clutter
Be pet-free
Have a phone in the room and a flashlight in case of emergencies

For safe treatment, you should have a clean work surface that has been cleaned with a recommended cleaning agent and is large enough to arrange your supplies.

To get ready for your PD treatment, you will potentially need:

Solution bags
Clamps
A MiniCap Disconnect Cap
An IV pole or hook
A weigh scale
A blood pressure cuff
A mask
Hand sanitizer
Pump soap
If needed, supplies for adding medications
Additional supplies your nurse may recommend

If the expiration date has passed, select a new solution bag, repeat the checks with the new solution bag, and continue your preparation. Notify your nurse of any problems with the solution bag. Also, it is important to check to see if the fluid in the bag is clear.

When gathering your solution, remember to check for:

S: Strength

E: Expiration date

A: Amount (or size of bag)

L: Leaks

It is important to handle your packaged PD supplies carefully to keep them sterile.

Do not touch supplies that need to stay sterile in order to avoid infection.

What is sterile?

Sterile means completely free of germs.

It is important to keep germs from entering your peritoneal cavity. Safe connecting and disconnecting is done when you remember what parts of your supplies need to stay sterile. These supplies are packaged to keep them sterile and will need to stay sterile after the package is opened.

What is clean?

Clean means most of the germs have been removed, but not all.

Good handwashing and drying makes your hands clean, not sterile. Your work surface is clean, not sterile.

Aseptic technique

The aseptic technique is used to keep germs away from the sterile parts of your supplies and equipment. This will help keep germs from entering the peritoneal cavity and causing an infection (peritonitis).

Putting on a mask, washing and drying your hands thoroughly as trained, and remembering not to touch the sterile parts of your supplies are important steps in aseptic technique.