According to some statistics, it has been found that around 1 to 4 percent of people develop an infection after undergoing surgery. As you might be aware, proper healing after a surgery takes time and if the surgical site gets infected, healing will get affected. That is why it is essential to properly take care of the surgical site. Not just surgical site, you should be careful with catheter sites and wound dressings as well. Always keep water away from the site as waterborne bacteria can easily cause infection. In this blog, we will tell you some signs that indicate you are dealing with infection. It is crucial to notice the signs early on so that infection does not progress and cause serious problems. What are those signs? Let’s find out. Experiencing Fever One of the most common signs of infection is fever. You should check your temperature when you start experiencing symptoms such as sweating, chills, shivering, and other similar symptoms. If your body temperature is between 97-99°F, then you do not need to worry that much. However, if your temperature goes beyond 100°F, you should get in touch with your healthcare provider. Site Is Looking Red Although a slight redness around the surgical site is considered normal, you should be concerned about it if it does not go away with time. Surgical site redness indicates that your body is healing. However, if the redness increases instead of decreasing, you should consult with your doctor. Wound Pain Is Increasing Just like redness, experiencing pain is considered normal after surgery. However, we all know that pain should reduce over time. If this does not happen in your case, it is a sign you need to talk to your doctor. Your doctor will inspect the site and accordingly create a pain control plan Swelling Around The Site In addition to redness, it is normal to notice swelling around your site. Swelling occurs because our body is transporting blood cells and fluids to the affected area to alleviate healing. Generally, swelling is not something that you should be overly concerned about as it goes away after a few days of surgery. Again, if the swelling does not decrease with time, you should let your doctor know about it. Apart from the above-mentioned signs, two other signs you should look out for include pus and unpleasant odor from the wound site. If you notice any of these signs, it is important you contact your healthcare provider and let him/her know about the signs in detail. Also, it is recommended that you protect your wound site from water using wound cover for shower. You can use our Shower Shield Water Barrier to protect PICC lines, Hickman Catheters, Peripheral lines, Ostomies, Ports, Stomas, and Pediatrics.

Getting a dialysis treatment can be quite overwhelming, not only for the patient but also the caregiver, especially considering the fact that this process takes several hours each day, and the patient has to endure painful needle insertion, fluid loss, and more in order to do it effectively. This strenuous process can take a toll on the patient’s physical and emotional well-being, which is why it becomes crucial for the caregiver to step up and take charge of things. If you’re taking care of someone with ongoing dialysis treatment, here are a few things you can incorporate into your care giving routine to facilitate their recovery. Knowledge is Key If you have taken up a proactive role in caring for your patient who is undergoing dialysis treatment, stay in constant touch with their doctors and specialists so you can learn more about what they need and how you can care for them better. To ensure effective care giving, you should have a working knowledge of the overall medical condition and other aspects, such as if there are any critical signs or possible warnings to notice, how the person had responded in the past when the condition worsened, any treatments that have been effective, what hasn't worked well, or what treatments can help. Help Them Stay Active In general, people on dialysis do better when they move around and stay active. However, dialysis is a form of sedentary treatment, and it's not uncommon for patients to feel lethargic. It's important that you encourage them to move around as much as possible. If they're going to be doing more sitting, ask them to do some low-impact exercises on their own - like walking up and down stairs or doing leg raises. Make sure there is at least one chair in every room in your house that can be used for reading or watching TV; try setting reminders on their phone, so they can make sure they don't spend too much time resting. Encourage Healthy Eating As a kidney patient, your diet is key. Kidney patients usually have trouble keeping sodium low and potassium high in their bodies. Eating right can be difficult when you're trying to manage a busy life, but it's important to stay healthy. You can help them stay healthy by giving them a kidney-friendly meal plan that keeps sodium in check and makes sure they're eating enough calories for energy. Assist Them in Showering While it is said that taking a shower is safe for those with a PICC line or dialysis port, most doctors recommend that you take a bath as it offers more convenience and mobility. However, if you prefer taking a shower over bathing, you need to take appropriate measures to ensure that the water does not enter the port and lead to infections. One of the best ways to keep your catheter/dialysis sites dry is by using a port cover for the shower. Our convenient and disposable shower shield helps you reduce the risk of infection from waterborne bacteria by keeping catheter sites and wound dressings dry while showering. We understand that taking care of someone undergoing dialysis can get overwhelming, but with the right kind of knowledge and medical supplies, you can make this process easy. In case you’re looking for a wound cover for shower, reach out to us today.