Starting on PD

Your child will need to be admitted to Nottingham Children’s Hospital to have their peritoneal dialysis catheter surgically inserted. They will usually be cared for on the renal ward, E17. They will stay in hospital for a couple of days to recover and you will be given information on caring for the catheter at home.

We usually aim to rest the catheter at home for a couple of weeks prior to starting PD but you will need to attend E17 weekly in the interim to flush the catheter and change the dressing over the PD catheter.

When your child is admitted to E17 to start PD, we begin with small volumes and build this up over the admission, which is usually about one week. There is lots to learn so you will be given training from the PD nurse specialists during this time so that you are ready to both care for the catheter and carry out the dialysis once you are home.

You will need to be available during the daytimes and in the evening so that you can cover all the aspects of the teaching programme and practice setting up the dialysis machine with support.

We will arrange for the machine and all of the supplies that you need at home to be delivered ready for your discharge. On the day that you are discharged from the hospital one of the peritoneal dialysis specialist nurses will meet you at you home to make sure that everything is in place and you are supported to set up the machine for the first night.

Once you are home, your child will be reviewed regularly in clinic in Nottingham and you will receive regular support on the phone from the PD nurse specialists.