When treating a patient on peritoneal dialysis with an infected catheter, what should be your immediate action?

When managing a patient on peritoneal dialysis who has an infected catheter, the immediate action should be to remove the catheter. This is crucial because an infected catheter can lead to systemic infection and serious complications such as peritonitis or sepsis. Infections associated with catheters can be localized, but they often have the potential to escalate quickly, necessitating immediate intervention.

The timely removal of the infected catheter helps to eliminate the source of infection and prevents further complications. Following catheter removal, appropriate antibiotic therapy can be initiated to treat the infection. While administering antibiotics and consulting a nephrologist are important steps in comprehensive management, these can occur after the immediate threat— the infected catheter— has been addressed. Changing the dialysis solution might be part of the management plan, but it does not directly remove the source of infection.

In this scenario, prioritizing the removal of the infected catheter is essential for patient safety and effective management of the condition.