Why is my fistula arm swollen?
After fistula creation, you may notice a bulge in your arm. This is the enlarged vein that results from blood flowing from the high pressure/ high flow artery into the low pressure/low flow vein. You may notice ink on your arm after your fistula creation procedure that were placed by your physician.
What is infiltration of AV fistula?
When you have a fistula or graft. What is an infiltration? An infiltration (blow) means that the needle has been dislodged from inside the vein (fistula) or graft during needle insertion or during a dialysis treatment.
What is Declotting?
: to remove blood clots from the serum histidine concentration in casual samples, properly declotted and stored— D. A. Gerber.
What should never be done on the arm of a patient with a dialysis fistula?
Do not wear tight clothes or jewelry on your access arm. Do not carry anything heavy or do anything that would put pressure on the access. Do not sleep with your head on the arm that has your access. Do not let anyone use a blood pressure cuff on your access arm.
Why does my arm fistula hurt?
This is usually caused by a needle coming out of the vessel into the tissue (called ‘bumping’) or by not pressing firmly when your needle is removed. Bruising and swelling can also occur if you move your arm around during dialysis, however bruising and swelling is much less likely to occur as the fistula matures.
What happens when a fistula blows?
This can happen at any time during the dialysis session. The nurses will often refer to this as the fistula ‘blowing’. It is caused by blood leaking from the fistula into the surrounding tissues. This may cause severe swelling and bruising around the fistula and can be quite painful.
What causes an infiltration?
It can be caused by puncturing the nerve with the needle when an IV is started, or from compartment syndrome. Another potential cause is infiltration – when the fluid leaks into the tissue around the vein. If an infiltration is severe enough, it can cause compartment syndrome and lead to nerve damage.
How do you get rid of a blood clot in AV fistula?
Thrombectomy of an AV fistula or AV graft A vascular specialist will insert a catheter into your dialysis access guided by X-ray technology. The catheter is used to break up and remove the clot. In some cases, a specialized instrument will be inserted through the catheter to aid in breaking up and removing the clot.
How is an AV fistula created in the arm?
For this procedure, an AV fistula is surgically created using an artery and a vein in your arm. (Your healthcare provider will let you know if another site is to be used.) When the artery and vein are joined, blood flow increases from the artery into the vein.
Where does the blood go after an arteriovenous fistula?
Nutrients and oxygen in your blood travel from your capillaries to tissues in your body. With an arteriovenous fistula, blood flows directly from an artery into a vein, bypassing some capillaries. When this happens, tissues below the bypassed capillaries receive less blood.
Why does the tape on my AV fistula itch?
If you notice that your AV Fistula site and the area around it are consistently itching, red or your skin begins to peal, you may be suffering an allergic reaction from the tape used.
What should my arm look like after a fistula?
After the fistula creation procedure, you may notice some swelling and bruising near your access site. Some minor bleeding is normal after surgical creation of a fistula and can last for several days. My Fistula Is Growing – Should I Be Concerned? After fistula creation, you may notice a bulge in your arm.