When a vascular access fails, your doctor needs to quickly repair or replace it. It has to work well so you can keep up with your dialysis sessions.
It's important to take care of your vascular access so that it works well. Any access has some risk of failure. So follow these tips to protect your access.
Access failure is often found by the dialysis nurse during a treatment session. The nurse may notice that dialysis or the access is not working as well as it should.
If your doctor suspects access failure, you will need a physical exam. This may include checking your access for a vibration, called a thrill. Your doctor may also check it for a swishing sound, called a bruit (say "BROO-ee"). These are signs that your access is working.
The doctor may also looks for signs of infection, such as swelling, warmth, or redness in the area. Your doctor may also look at the color and temperature of your hands and arms.
You may get tests. These can include blood tests. You may also get imaging tests of your blood vessels, such as Doppler ultrasound or angiogram.
Several things can cause a vascular access to fail. They include:
An access can sometimes fail before it has been used the first time.
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