When you hear the word bandage, you usually think of something being wrapped in a gauze bandage. While this is not technically correct, it is what most people think of. When it comes to a PEG bandage, there is actually no gauze bandage, just a few wound dressings and a plaster. A PEG feeding tube is usually protected with a bandage. This is completely logical in the first few days after the new placement. After all, it is an open wound. Dirt must not be allowed to get in there. In addition, a little blood and wound secretions may leak out. Of course, you don’t want that on your clothes.
Bandage, yes or no?
To paraphrase Shakespeare, one could perhaps exclaim: “To bandage or not to bandage, that is the question!” The answer is quite clear: “It depends!” There are people for whom the insertion canal of the PEG tube is actually the same as an ear piercing. It heals completely and is absolutely irritation-free from then on. This means that the insertion channel never becomes inflamed and there is never any wound secretion. These people sometimes don’t even wear a bandage. Even though I personally haven’t had any problems (i.e. inflammation) with my insertion channel for years, I still always wear a bandage. For several reasons.
Why have a bandage?
From time to time, there is always some residue at the insertion canal. Wound secretions, sweat that has collected on the tube and, every now and then, a few drops of tube feed that somehow find their way out. To be completely honest, I have never analyzed it that closely. It’s just some dirty secretion. That’s why I wear a bandage around my PEG. But that’s perfectly fine. That’s how most people are.
Furthermore, this bandage provides protection in two ways. On the one hand, it prevents dirt from entering the wound at the insertion canal (you know, the hole that has already been described several times, which was not intended by nature, with a foreign body, i.e. tube, in it). This helps to prevent inflammation. It is important to avoid this at all costs. Not only because it puts a strain on the body and also involves a certain risk, but also because an inflamed insertion canal is extremely painful.
Risk Reduction
On the other hand, the tube of the feeding tube is fixed a little with the plaster of the bandage. This reduces the risk of accidentally pulling on the tube. No matter whether it is used by yourself or by nursing or assistant staff or family caregivers, it is an absolutely unpleasant experience (more on this point in another post). Although, strictly speaking, this does not reduce the risk, but rather significantly cushions the effect. Never mind! Either way, it’s definitely worth it. Trust me!
Bandage changes
Anyone who has ever had a bandage for any other reason knows that it has to be changed from time to time. Of course, this also applies to the PEG bandage. At the latest, it needs to be changed after a shower or a sweaty day. This is because a damp bandage provides an ideal breeding ground for germs. Which brings us back to the subject of inflammation. The good news is that you don’t need to call in the home nursing service every time you need to change your PEG tube bandage. While this is an option, it’s not really suitable for everyday use and, above all, it’s not really necessary. I’ve probably taught hundreds of non-professionals how to change my PEG tube bandage at some point in my life. Once they have done it a few times, I could actually go out for a quick smoke while they are doing it (which of course I don’t do for obvious reasons). But it really isn’t rocket science that you would have to be afraid of. In my next post, I will go through the exact procedure with you. So check back next week at “Life with PEG”?
Comments