Skin care around the PEG

buzz99

Any tips on care of the skin around a peg? The dressing got wet with drainage and in no time the skin around the peg became quite reddened and raw. I have been cleaning with a baby wipe and drying the area then applying aquaphor ointment.

Glenna M

PEG care
Buzz, sorry you're having problems with your PEG site. I washed mine daily while I was in the shower, rotate the PEG while you are washing it and make sure you rinse ALL the soap off. After showering make sure the site is completely dry, I used gauze pads to pat mine dry. I then soaked a Q-tip with hydrogen peroxide and wiped all around the incision and then dried it again and applied Bacitracin all around the opening in my stomach with a Q-tip. After cleaning it I would put clean dressing on and was done with it until I showered the next day. I had mine for 4 months and never had any problems so hopefully this will help you.

I wouldn't use Aquaphor as that will keep the skin moist, I can recommend Bacitracin and Neosporin as I used both of these, they are OTC antibiotic creams.

Others may post better information that will help you, I'm just telling you what my daily routine was.

Hope this helps,
Glenna

CLRRN

Hey there....me again..Mike
Hey there....me again..Mike uses a hydrogen peroxide wipes (a lot easier than the liquid peroxide) to clean around the tube,then applied bacitracin or neosporin around the tube. Initially he was using a gauze with a pre-cut slit and placed around the tube. We also purchased a 6" ace wrap to keep secure to his body especially during bedtime.

Hope this helps.

Chris

Hydrogen Peroxide Wipes, bacitracin and 6" ace we got at CVS
Gauze/Sponge: www.medonthenet.com
Excilon AMD Anti
Microbial Drain Sponge 4" x 4", Sterile, Bx/50

sweetblood22

CLRRN said:

Hey there....me again..Mike
Hey there....me again..Mike uses a hydrogen peroxide wipes (a lot easier than the liquid peroxide) to clean around the tube,then applied bacitracin or neosporin around the tube. Initially he was using a gauze with a pre-cut slit and placed around the tube. We also purchased a 6" ace wrap to keep secure to his body especially during bedtime.

Hope this helps.

Chris

Hydrogen Peroxide Wipes, bacitracin and 6" ace we got at CVS
Gauze/Sponge: www.medonthenet.com
Excilon AMD Anti
Microbial Drain Sponge 4" x 4", Sterile, Bx/50

Peg care.
I had mine for like 18 months? That may be a record here. Lol. Honestly the less I messed with mine the better. I never had any problem with it. I just washed daily in the shower. I changed the drain sponge around the tube four times a day and that was it. I just got mine out last week. Still not all closed up yet but I have some granulation tissue there.

Noellesmom

peg
We cleaned Jim's with hydrogen peroxide making sure to rotate the peg, patted dry, applied bacitracin, covered with the pre-slit gauze. Initially, we taped this down but the doctor's office (not home health - they had never heard of it) gave Jim a very soft, stretchy band to slip over his head. These come in different sizes for different girth folks. This band was much more comfortable than the tape, which can make one raw.

Hugs.

patricke

Skin Care Around The Peg
Hey Buzz,my PEG Tube has been one of my best friends for the past 10 years. I just wash the area when I shower, and until recently (approximately 2-3 months ago) I would apply an ointment such as A&D, Balmex, or Cocoa Butter, and then place a 2 x 2 or 4 x 4 gauze pad (I made the slit) over the area. I only needed to do this routine once daily, unless I was engaged in some strenuous, sweaty physical activity. The area for about a 2" radius around the opening, however, was almost always red and irritated in appearance (no discomfort though), and there was always a small discharge to be absorbed by the gauze. My ENT, and the nursing staff at the endoscopy suite (where I've had my tube replaced numerous times) had no other suggestions for me regarding the skin care. I belileve that I once asked my dermatologist some years ago, and he didn't have a solution, it's been a long time. As I indicated, there was a change recently. My daughter had a problem with irritated skin awhile back, for which her dermatologist prescribed Triamcinolone 0.1% Cream FOU, so one day, when my skin looked especially irritated (after a hike in the swamp) she suggested that I try it. I was hesitent, but decided to experiment using it on one small area. To my surprise and utter delight, wthin a day my skin, by and large, normalized in condition in the experimental area! I next tried it on the entire area, and got the same results. Another unbelievable outcome of using the cream is that the condition of the skin immediately surrounding the PEG port (i.e., where the skin meets the tube) has improved markedly, to the point that I no longer have a discharge to worry about. I am totally amazed; I no longer have to wear a gauze pad around my PEG! I apply the cream once daily and that's it. You might want to check with your doctor about the possibility of trying this cream; it works for me, but it may not be good for everybody. I use Nexcare Gentle Cloth Tape to attach my tube to my chest, which thus far, hasn't been a problem, skinwise. That's some of my experience with tube care. Good luck Buzz, with your adventures in tubing, it is a challenge.

PATRICK

Pam M

My PEG
Buzz,

I, too, would ditch the Aquaphor. I used spray on hydrogen peroxide (loved it) - I'd remove any "goop" with a qtip. I used Neosporin after the peroxide at first. I also washed it in the shower, but was careful to not get soap or shampoo in the site. Some folks here have used a cleaning product called Cera Ve (safe on healing areas).

I also had skin reactions to the tape, and did much better when I felt comfortable enough to quit using it. The tape that felt the most like paper was the hardest on my skin, for me.

Hope it clears up soon.

Rita3710

Skin care of PEG
Joe had the same problem with the skin being raw around the PEG until my girlfriend (RN) told me to buy "Desitin" for baby diaper rash and apply a very small amount and it cleared up right away. It was a miracle for him! He cleans it with hydrogen perioxide and cuts a piece of gauze to fit around the round disk. Hope this helps...

gerrys girl

peg tube care
When i was caring for my mother she did hae some trouble with the skin arond the tube and I found that if you cleaned it twice a day with just water and then put a 3x3 with a pre cut slit to absorb the drainage worked the best.Hope this helps

debbij

gerrys girl said:

peg tube care
When i was caring for my mother she did hae some trouble with the skin arond the tube and I found that if you cleaned it twice a day with just water and then put a 3x3 with a pre cut slit to absorb the drainage worked the best.Hope this helps

PEG care
do not put any ointment around the hole..this can seep into the open wound and cause a multitude of problems, ie infection being # 1...use 2 2x2 squares of gauze...on sided being non absorbent...fold and place under the wings of the tube and use paper tape to keep in place..another way to keep in place which will not irritate your skin is a new bandage that is self sticking..it looks like an ace bandage...comes in a variety of widths...wrap around your stomach area and close by the tube//

my husband developed granulization and in infection because someone told to use bacitracin, a & d ointment...dont use anything at all !!

Eddie J

skin care around peg tube

ITS a  fungus ,wash it with soap and water then dry the area off then apply an antifungal cream  then a pad 2x2 cut to seperate around the tube .I used nystatin cream It healed up fine

ali90h7

I would like to ask when showering, should the tube be covered?

Or does the person take a shower normally and then I dry the surrounding area?

wbcgaruss

Ali when taking a shower just leave the feeding tube uncovered and shower as you normally would. You can soap the area around gently cleaning around the tube.

Wishing You the Best

Take care, God Bless

Russ

wbcgaruss

Also when using the feeding tube such as when done feeding you should always follow up with a feeding syringe of water to flush it out. When you put meds or anything through it run a feeding syringe of water when finished as a flush. Also if you are not using the feeding tube you should run a syringe of water through it and flush it once a day.

Wishing You the Best

Take care, God Bless

Russ

ali90h7

Great and valuable information Russ Thank you very much, I learn every day from this wonderful community. I will stay in touch with you with any inquiries you have

lagunasteve

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/911344#Comment_911344

Topical corticosteroids (TCS) like triamcinolone are no doubt fast and effective. Just be careful if you chose to use them daily and long term and if you do consider consulting your HCP. Over time they can break down and thin skin and then you could end up with another issue.

All the best to everyone; I am 5 weeks out from my last of 35 rad treatments and dealing with the madness of the roller coaster ride of good and no so great days. I am so looking forward to not counting on this tube for nutrition.

Logan51

The A&D ointment is good for healing skin. Over the counter tube.

wbcgaruss

lagunasteve, if you are 5 weeks out from your last treatment you may have a bit of time yet till you notice actually feeling better longer.

So if you finished treatment 5 weeks ago, starting from that point, allow another 2 weeks post-treatment because they say we are still cookin so to speak, from the radiation, basically, it builds up from the 35 smaller doses and it is cumulative, which is why it is still active another 2 weeks.

Just figure from the end of treatment it will be about 4-8 weeks till you feel stable and decent at all. H&N cancer recovery is a slow process based on weeks and months, not days and weeks. So overall, figure 4-8 weeks post-treatment to start feeling better, then 8 months to a year for full recovery.

As far as feeding tubes go I am pro feeding tube. If you need it it is a friend and a lifesaver and is easily removed when not needed.

I have found the gauze they put under the feeding tube button tends to draw moisture from the inside because usually at least a small bit of moisture will seep towards the outside at the stomach as it follows the tube. I have found that using no gauze and letting it be uncovered lets the seepage dry up into a hardened material that can be peeled off sometimes in pieces. Sometimes, nothing at all the area is just dry.

When I did have soreness, redness, irritation issues, I had tried items such as Calmoseptine, which worked for a bit but was not the best.

What really worked for me was Nystatin Topical powder. It cleared up the irritation I had, and the powder soaks up moisture which is where the irritation originates from I believe the stomach acid irritates the skin.

I have used items like this…Calmoseptine

But this seemed to work best for me long term…

I think it also depends on your situation and what is causing the irritation. I personally have no qualms about using either of them again, depending on what my care team recommends.

Wishing You The Best quick recovery

Take Care, God Bless

Russ

NEGU (Never Ever Give Up)