Does anyone have any first hand experience with the buttonhole technique in-center done by nursing staff? It seems like it would be more difficult and uncomfortable for the patient for a nurse to remove the scabs and then find the tunnels. The reason I say this is because a home patient told us that removing the scabs can sometimes be irritating when he does it himself. So, if a nurse did it she would have even less of an idea of what is causing him discomfort. Likewise, eventhough I have read that the patient is the best one to place the needles since he will get the same angle each time, he said that the needles usually do not go right in- he has to prod around until he finds the tunnel. Again, doing this to himself, he knows the exact amount of gentleness to use not to hurt himself. But with a nurse doing it, it would seem that the nurse could not be as accurate and gentle since she can not feel where to go like the patient can. It really seems that it would be difficult for a nurse to do this at all without causing the patient discomfort and/or pain. I can see where a nurse could start the initial sticks to form the tunnel, but after that it doesn’t seem that the nurse could place the bh needles as well as the patient.
Perhaps there are some caregivers who place the needles for their family member on home hemo. Wondering what your experience is. Also, it could be that some home patients or in-center have bhs that are very easy to get in and are not irritated by someonelse removing their scabs.