Arm or hand swelling – A swollen arm or hand is something to take note of. If you have a catheter and notice bleeding, you need to go to an emergency room immediately.ħ. If the bleeding doesn’t stop after about 15 minutes, you should call your doctor right away.
Place a clean gauze pad over your access site and apply gentle pressure. This is something you should bring to the attention of your dialysis team. Bleeding for a longer period of time may be an early sign that you may have a stenosis (narrowing) in your fistula or graft. Bleeding – Bleeding from your access site after your hemodialysis treatment is normal, but should only last for about 15-20 minutes. If you experience these symptoms, you should call your dialysis team or doctor to let them know.Ħ. Numbness, tingling or cold arm and hand – If your hand or arm on the side with the access starts to feel numb or cold or begins to tingle, poor circulation to your hand could be the problem. If you cannot feel a thrill when you place your hand over your access site, contact your doctor or dialysis team immediately.ĥ. No thrill – Not being able to feel any thrill may indicate that your access has clotted.
Just like the bruit, when there’s a change in the thrill, it’s time to contact your dialysis team or doctor.Ĥ. Change in thrill – A change in thrill, or the vibration you feel when you place your hand over your access, is also an early sign that your access may be malfunctioning. This is something you should bring to the attention of your doctor or dialysis team right away.ģ. No bruit – Not hearing any sound when you place your ear or a stethoscope on your access site could mean that your access is blocked. An inconsistent bruit is typically an early warning sign that you should let your dialysis team know about.Ģ. If you don’t, it could be a sign that something is wrong. Inconsistent bruit – When you listen to your dialysis access, you should hear a consistent swishing sound called a bruit. 9 Warning Signs That Could Indicate a Dysfunctional Dialysis Accessġ. If something has changed with your access, you should talk to your doctor or someone on your dialysis team. You need to look to be sure there are no signs of infection listen for the swishing sound, or bruit and feel your access to be sure that the thrill, or vibration, is still there and consistent.