Can I Swim With PD Catheter

Can I swim with PD catheter? If yes, what kinds of care needs to be taken for the catheter?

PD patients are generally not recommended to swim as the contaminated water may lead to exit site infection. But swimming in clean ocean water or clean chlorinated swimming pool has been claimed to be possible. And you should follow your nurse or doctor’s advice:

No ocean swimming (most beaches are moderately polluted)

No river or lake swimming

No public pool swimming

Only a well-chorinated personal pool

If you swim in chlorinated pools, you can use ostomy bags to keep your tube and site dry. After swim, you can remove the bag, wash with antibacterial soup and tape and bandage as usual. Do this at home and do not open the site to air in public spaces.

Generally speaking, swimming is a good form of exercise. However, it is better that you swim in a chlorinated pool as the sea and rivers can be contaminated. Besides, in order to reduce the risk of infection, it is better to shower rather than bath once you start PD.

With peritoneal dialysis, you are possible to suffer from some side effects. The main complication is peritonitis, which is an infection of the peritoneal membrane.

Occasionally you may get an infection where the catheter comes out of your abdomen, the exit site. This can be treated by antibiotics. An abdominal herina may happen because of pressure caused by the dialysis fluid.

With many limitations of PD, many patients want to avoid PD. Are there any alternatives? Yes, in our hospital, we recommend Toxin-Removing Treatment which is a series of Chinese medicine treatments. This systematic remedy can help you repair injured kidney tissues and improve renal function gradually. It is possible for you to get rid of dialysis.

You can swim with PD based on your own illness condition. If you have any question, you can leave a message below or email tsthospital@hotmail.com. We will reply you as soon as possible.