Living With Your Graft for Hemodialysis
Living With Your Graft for HemodialysisPg 1TranscriptWhen your kidneys can no longer do the job of cleaning your blood, you may need hemodialysis.An arteriovenous graft, or AV graft, can give your healthcare provider safe access to your bloodvessels for many years, if it is kept infection-free and in good working order. To ensure it staysworking safely, here are some things to keep in mind.Keep your graft area clean at all times. Do not cut or bump the area. Do not wear jewelry or tightclothing over the area. If your access site is in your arm, don’t use that arm to lift heavy objects.Try not to sleep on that arm. And do not let anyone put a blood pressure cuff on your access arm.Access sites should only be used for hemodialysis, not regular blood draws. And let all of yourhealthcare providers, including your dentist, know you have a graft before any appointments.Every day, check for signs of infection. If you notice redness, warmth, tenderness or pus; or if youhave a fever, contact your healthcare provider right away.If it looks like your graft area is swollen, or like there is a balloon under the surface of the skin, tellyour healthcare provider immediately. You may have an aneurysm that will need to be monitoredor treated.And every day, check the “thrill” in your access area. “Thrill” is a vibration you will be able to feelover your access site. Ask your healthcare provider to help you check the thrill so you know how todo it on a regular basis.AV grafts can develop narrow areas which can make dialysis difficult and may lead to a blood clotforming. Called stenosis, this narrow area may be able to be treated with a minimally invasiveprocedure.As you live with your graft, take good care of it to prevent complications and infection. It is your lifeline. Do all you can to protect it.If you have any questions about how to care for your access site and the steps you can take toprevent complications, talk to your healthcare provider.This program is for informational purposes only; for all health related issues please contact your healthcareprovider. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this videofor medical decision making. rn_10008_98 ©Milner-Fenwick, Inc.
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