As for infection of dialysis access, a graft is more likely to become infected than a native fistula.
Besides the patient’s own immunity, sterile disinfection of the puncture site before and after each dialysis session is also a factor.
An infected site shows inflammation, presenting as redness, swelling, heat and pain.
Severe infection may cause systemic infection (sepsis) and can even thin the vessel wall, leading to rupture and heavy bleeding.
In early infection, antibiotic treatment should be given actively and the infected part of the vessel should not be needled again.
If drug treatment is not effective, removal of the infected vessel should be considered.
It may even be necessary to close the current dialysis access and place a temporary dialysis catheter, with the vessel reconstructed once the infection is completely controlled.
