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Patient handout · Renal & Genitourinary

Caring for Your Dialysis Access: Your Daily Guide

A fistula or graft joins an artery and a vein in your arm. This is where the dialysis needles go. It is your lifeline for dialysis, so protect it every day.

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Check it every day

  • Feel for the thrill: a buzz or gentle vibration over the access.
  • Listen for the bruit: a whooshing sound. Use a stethoscope if you have one.
  • Check when you wake up and after dialysis.
  • A weaker buzz: call today. No buzz at all: call 911.

Let it heal first

  • A new fistula needs 6 to 8 weeks or longer to get strong before use.
  • A graft is usually ready in 2 to 3 weeks.
  • Do the hand exercises your care team teaches you.

Protect your access arm

  • No blood pressure checks, blood draws, or IVs in this arm. Remind every nurse and doctor.
  • No tight sleeves, watches, or jewelry on this arm.
  • Do not sleep on this arm.
  • Do not carry more than 10 pounds with this arm, or hang a bag on it.

Keep it clean

  • Wash the access with soap and water before each dialysis.
  • Keep it dry between treatments.
  • Do not scratch it or pick at scabs.

If a needle site bleeds

  • Press firmly on the spot with clean gauze for 10 minutes. Do not lift the gauze to peek.
  • If it still bleeds after 10 minutes of pressure, call 911.

Call your provider today if you have

  • A weaker buzz or whooshing sound
  • Redness, warmth, swelling, or drainage at the access
  • Fever or chills

Call 911 or your local emergency number if you have

  • No buzz and no whooshing sound at all
  • Bleeding that does not stop with firm pressure
  • A cold, numb, or pale hand on your access arm

This handout supports, not replaces, advice from your own nurse or doctor.

For nurses and nursing students: the teaching guide behind this handout →