Buttonhole Technique: The Answers to the Most Common Questions

Abstract

The present paper aims to clarify the clinical practices related to medium/long-term constant-site (buttonhole) cannulation with dull needles. This work originates from a series of questions addressed to the author, via email or phone, by colleagues who had perplexities or shadow areas of knowledge about the procedure: “how many nurses to create the tunnel truck, when to shift to dull needle, how to insert dull needles, etc.”. The given answers are based on personal and shared experiences, as well as references to international literature and peer discussion. It is believed that the answers here collected may constitute a professional heritage that can be interesting and beneficial to all professionals involved in hemodialysis arteriovenous management.(nursing)