I hate tape with a passion. No, not Scotch tape or duct tape, but any adhesive for your skin. The last few PICC lines I had such severe reactions to adhesive that the Infusion Center nurses didn't know what to do with me. I developed small oozing blisters everywhere that came in contact with any type of adhesive that would leak so badly that the adhesive would literally fall off. We tried EVERY adhesive and every type of prep (chloroprep seems to give me issues too) and the nurses finally gave up. The last PICC line my husband learned to clean my PICC site and we covered the PICC site in gauze and then wrapped the gauze with Coban (the tape that sticks to itself, but does not stick to skin). It was good in that it allowed my skin to heal, but it was bad because it needed to be changed everyday because it was not as sterile as adhesive.
Now to the reason I currently hate tape. Along with pregnancy comes a lot of blood draws. No big deal except that they always want to tape the stupid cotton ball to my arm after a draw. I usually tell the nurse I am allergic to adhesive and they allow me to hold the cotton ball to my arm instead. Unfortunately, this last draw on Wednesday I was in the middle of a conversation with the nurse when BAM she slapped on a big old piece of that stupid white tape over my cotton ball. I tried ripping it off immediately, but it was too late. it is now Saturday and the entire area that was covered in tape is super itchy and I have even developed a few small blisters. Ugh!
With my PICC the doc gave me prescription cream to reduce the swelling and inflammation and also to reduce the itch. Being pregnant I am sure I cannot use these creams so I am testing my will by not scratching! As I said I HATE tape.
Below is a pic of my blistery arm several days after my PICC was pulled after a week of using only gauze AND after I had been using prescription strength creme to calm my angry skin down. The little area right around my PICC site was what my entire arm looked like. I was worried my skin would never be smooth again, but thankfully besides the PICC scars all those nasty bumps healed perfectly smooth.
You have the same problems as I do! I have an allergy to tape to. Mine isn't nearly as bad as yours but the itch is so bad when I do IV's and it takes so long to get my skin back to normal and not all red and dry and gross.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I can completely relate to this post. I developed this problem a few years ago and it has complicated hospital stays and PICC lines so much. It seems like it's not a big issue but it is HUGE. The pain from the itch and "weeping" skin is unbearable, I know. I feel for you so much! Ice packs have been a life saver for me. The creams did not work for me so to take the itch away, I would place an ice pack on my arm and the relief was delicious!! In my opinion, or in my case rather, I think the problem is more with the chloraprep. Also, many nurses when they change dressings don't allow the alchohol, bedadine,or chloraprep to dry all the way before they put the tegaderm on and that makes it so much worse! Now my husband and I insist on doing my own dressing changes. I also find the tegaderm that has that paper "frame" around the edge is much more irritating than just the old school, regular tegaderm! I hope a few of those suggestions work : ) I love reading your journey. I wish so much I would have recorded my pregnancy better. I started blogging after my son was born but you are going to be so glad you have all these amazing miracles recorded!! Much love to you and many blessings!!
ReplyDeleteMy skin hates PICC tape too, but not quite as badly as yours. So far, they haven't found any solution for me, so I just deal with it. I don't think my last one was as bad as the others, but I hate that painful/itchy feeling!
ReplyDeleteYuck! So sorry you all have to deal with the same issue! It really makes PICC lines more challenging! It is funny because my PICC nurses acted like they had never heard of this happening before, but it seems it is not all that uncommon among the CF community.
ReplyDeleteSharlie- Thanks for the advice! I am going to make some suggestions to the docs before my next PICC which I hope won't be for a long time!
I'm with Sharlie on the ice pack thing. This last time I had my port accessed I would fall asleep with an ice pack on it. It was the worst it had ever been this last time and we think it was a mix of sweat (115 degree summers in las vegas) and the last change the nurst didn't let the alcohol and chloroaprep dry and my skin freaked out. I'm also allregic to the tagaderm with the white cotton frame around it. So we just use the plain tagaderm and that helps alot.
ReplyDeleteI am going to try ice next time i get a PICC! Thanks for the tip. I am super allergic to chloroprep and tagaderm. I am going to try the one without the white frame next time and see if it helps. Thanks for the tips!!
ReplyDeleteI have this problem, I found that I was actually allergic to the stuff they clean the arm with before insertion of my port needle. I am allergic to the dressing too, so covering it up just made the skin weep constantly for 2 weeks and at the end of my IVs (when I have gone insane by this point due to the itching) the whole area is covered in a green, blistery crust!
ReplyDeleteTry getting hold of a gauze called kaltostat, its made for bed blisters but is really good, it absorbs all the puss from the blisters and keeps the area try. I use hypafix to secure it all in place, its the least allergic one I can find (its kind of white and wooly)! Also see if they can clean your arm with something else to sterilise it, you could be allergic to that like me!
You are all so awesome with your advice!!! I am absolutely going to request kaltostat because I get the weeping problem so bad! I will also try out hypafix and see if it will be less irritating. Gosh, I never knew this was such a common problem. At least I am in good company!
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