The patient has a peritoneal dialysis catheter. The nurse notes the dressing is saturated and prepares to change it. Upon removing the dressing, the nurse notes a foul odor and purulent drainage around the site, which is red. Which action does the nurse take next?

Remove gloves, set up sterile field, and proceed with dressing change. The patient is exhibiting signs of infection at the insertion site of the peritoneal dialysis catheter. The most appropriate action is to proceed with the dressing change to limit exposure of the exit site to invading pathogens. Once the site has been cleansed and covered, the nurse can assess the patient for other signs of infection, including fever and abdominal pain, and contact the provider to assess the site. The nurse does not palpate around the site until after the site is cleansed and the nurse is wearing sterile gloves. This reduces the risk for the passage of infectious material around the site into the wound. Leaving the patient with a dirty peritoneal dialysis catheter site open to air while the provider is contacted is inappropriate because it increases the risk of catheter-related systemic infection.

The patient has a peritoneal dialysis catheter. The nurse notes t...

Category: Reduction of Risk Potential
Difficulty: 7

Topics: Communication & Documentation Disease Prevention Elimination Health Care Quality Immunity Infection Inflammation Nursing Interventions Tissue Integrity

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