The Kidney Citizen Issue 2
Long term dialysis catheters, information about Medicare and travel tips for dialysis patients
In-Center Hemodialysis
Currently, in-center hemodialysis is the most utilized form of dialysis treatment for Americans with end stage renal disease. With in-center hemodialysis a patient goes to a dialysis center where a staff of nurses and technicians administer treatment. Generally, in-center hemodialysis occurs three days a week for between three to five hours per session. During dialysis treatment the blood is removed from the body via an access (fistula, graft or catheter), filtered through an artificial kidney (dialyzer) and returned back to the body through the access. This blood is filtered many times during treatment to remove waste and maintain the chemical balance [...]
Peritoneal Dialysis
One advantage of peritoneal dialysis (PD) is that people who choose PD can do it while they sleep using a cycler. The cycler is a machine that fills and drains dialysate into the peritoneal cavity in the abdomen several times during the night. While the dialysate is in the peritoneal cavity, it helps pull toxins from the blood through the peritoneal lining. After a time of dwelling, the dialysate is drained from the peritoneal cavity which is refilled with fresh dialysate. While it may seem difficult to sleep during dialysis, many who choose Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD) report that they [...]
Home Hemodialysis
For people on dialysis who are stable, and who desire more control and flexibility over their treatments, home hemodialysis is another treatment option. With home hemodialysis a patient, along with a partner in most cases, will set up a dialysis machine in his or her home and learn to perform dialysis. This requires a patient, and/or partner, to learn how to self-cannulate, or put the needles into the access, set up the dialysis machine, monitor the machine, take and record vital statistics during treatment. Home hemodialysis patients must have a room in their home capable of accommodating the dialysis machine [...]
Surgeons to Attempt Transplants and Drug Treatment with Hepatitis C Positive Kidneys
For several years, kidneys infected with Hepatitis C have been considered unfit for transplants due to the risk for transmission. However, with a new wave of antiviral medications shown to cure Hepatitis C, doctors at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University are planning to attempt transplants with kidneys from deceased Hepatitis C carriers. The patient who receives the kidney would then undergo a 12-week antiviral drug regimen to treat the disease. The trial’s leaders caution that the drugs won’t work for every participant, but argue the process has the potential to eliminate the waste that comes with the disposal [...]
Revamped CDC Website Aims to Educate About Diabetes
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and currently affects more than 29 million people in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently relaunched the National Diabetes Education Program, a website that contains educational resources on the disease. The information, which has been scientifically tested and verified, is available in the form of fact sheets, webinars, videos and other materials. The website is free, open to anyone, and can be found here. The DPC Education Center’s Education Call on diabetes can be viewed here.
Helping Your Patients Live Well on Dialysis
Dialysis is often a stressful and emotional experience. But renal healthcare professionals can help patients improve their quality of life. As a renal healthcare professional, you are understandably focused on your patients’ physical health outcomes. Given that physical and mental health are closely intertwined, you are in a prime position to positively impact a patient’s overall health. Although this information is not new to you, it can still be difficult addressing mental health issues with your patients. Knowing that untreated mental health issues can lead to misunderstandings and missed opportunities for better health, many providers find ways to address these [...]
Next Education Call: Tuesday March 29
Learning you need to go on dialysis can be overwhelming. A diagnosis of ESRD means significant life changes including dietary restrictions, fluid restrictions in addition to receiving treatment three times a week. With all these drastic changes, it’s important to not only take care of your physical health but your mental health as well. Join us on Tuesday, March 29 at 3 pm Eastern to hear from Dr. Teri Boudreau on ways you can continue to Live Well on Dialysis. The call can be viewed online by visiting www.dpcedcenter.org/education-call or by phone at 1-877-399-5186, conference code: 433-459-5474.
New Procedure Could Make Kidney Transplants From Any Donor Possible
More than 100,000 patients are currently on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, and one of the biggest challenges involves finding a compatible donor to minimize risk of organ rejection. But what if compatibility wasn’t a requirement? Johns Hopkins University recently unveiled a study in which doctors altered a patient’s immune system, allowing the patient to receive a kidney from a previously incompatible living donor. For the study, patient participants underwent a process known as “desensitization.” This is when the immune system’s cells, or antibodies, are filtered from the blood. Doctors waited until the patients’ bodies replenished the antibodies, then [...]
Artificial kidney technology continuing to see major developmental progress
Currently, there are over 100,000 patients on the kidney transplant waiting list, while only around 17,000 patients receive a transplant every year. A device is in development by a team of scientists at Vanderbilt University in Nashville to try and eliminate this organ shortage. They are developing an implantable artificial kidney that uses microchip filters and live kidney cells to clean the blood. The microchips are made out of the same silicon elements that are used in computers. Each microchip filter contains pores that hold living kidney cells that mimics the kidney’s function of cleaning waste and fluids from the blood. [...]