Recommendations for treatment of exit-site pathology.

Good local care including measures to prevent trauma keeps healthy exit sites free of infection. Acute infection can be cured with aggressive therapy. Chronic infection may progress to cuff infection, which even when treated, may progress to peritonitis. Cuff and tunnel infections require deroofing, cuff shaving, and/or catheter removal. Therapy may prolong the life of a catheter. An equivocal exit site requires aggressive therapy in order to achieve cure. Local care of the exit should include measures to prevent trauma. Should trauma occur, aggressive therapy that includes a systemic antibiotic should be instituted immediately. Aggressive therapy is particularly indicated during the healing period. Prophylactic antibiotics, systemic or topical, are indicated in trauma, recurrent infection, and may be beneficial during the healing period.