Early nursing care of peritoneal dialysis catheter outlet with multi-functional nanogel of antibacterial and healing

Infection at the outlet of the catheter in peritoneal dialysis (PD) is one of the leading causes of peritonitis, as well as the main cause of catheter extraction and patient mortality. The use of dressings at the outlet of the catheter is important to prevent secondary trauma and wound infection. This study reports the development of a multifunctional hydrogel dressing with antibacterial, repair, and anti-infection functionality: the dextran–curcumin silk fibroin (Dex-Cur@SF) hydrogel dressing. Clinical application demonstrated that compared with standard wound dressing, Dex-Cur@SF hydrogel dressing had stronger antibacterial, anti-infection, and analgesic properties, reduced the interval of dressing changes, and promoted wound healing. These results suggest that Dex-Cur@SF may represent an improved option for nursing care at the outlet of PD catheters.