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Report Finds Longer Interval Between Treatments Leads to Increased Hospitalization

2024-03-28T21:06:06-04:00September 25th, 2015|Categories: Dialysis, eNews|

The two-day treatment gap between in-center hemodialysis patients is associated with more hospital admissions and an increased mortality rate, according to a report published in Kidney International. Researchers looked at 5,800 hemodialysis patients in Sheffield, United Kingdom. They found that hospitalization was more likely for patients who had a 2-day interval between treatments than those with a 1-day interval. Health officials attributed this to a build-up of fluid and toxins. The study also offered potential solutions, such as more frequent dialysis treatments and a lower fluid removal goal.

Are You Getting Enough High-Quality Sleep?

2024-03-28T21:06:14-04:00May 28th, 2015|Categories: Early Intervention, eNews, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Nutrition, Peritoneal Dialysis, Physical Health, What Causes Kidney Disease|

We all know that sleep is important, yet many of us never seem to get enough of it. The journal Sleep Review recently found that 67% of end-stage renal disease patients said they were impacted by sleep disorders that prevented them from getting enough sleep. These sleep disorders include periodic leg movement syndrome (PLMS), restless legs syndrome (RLS), insomnia and sleep apnea. Researchers from Monash University reported in the journal Renal Failure that lack of sleep, especially when coupled with chronic kidney disease, leads to hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, lower quality of life and shorter life expectancy. This leaves many kidney patients [...]

Education Manager & Nephrology Nurse Joanne Smith Provides Education on Treatment Options for Kidney Patients

2024-03-28T21:06:17-04:00April 29th, 2015|Categories: eNews, Home Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, News & Events, Peritoneal Dialysis, Webinar|

On April 9, Education Manager Joanne Smith hosted an educational conference call and webinar on treatment options for kidney patients. Smith has been a nephrology nurse for 32 years, and provides in-home training to patients on peritoneal and hemodialysis. Click here to listen to a recording of the call and view the accompanying Powerpoint slides.

The Importance of Scheduling Dialysis Treatments Before Natural Disasters Strike

2024-03-28T21:06:17-04:00April 29th, 2015|Categories: Dialysis|Tags: |

Since dialysis is necessary to sustain life for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, it is imperative that both facilities and patients plan ahead when it comes to scheduling dialysis. It is particularly important to plan for any facility closures, which are bound to happen during natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy. Unfortunately, approximately 40% of dialysis patients in the regions most affected by Hurricane Sandy - New York and New Jersey - failed to schedule dialysis in the days before the hurricane struck. As researchers pointed out in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, scheduling dialysis early would have been a good idea [...]

Proper Disinfection Practices Can Eliminate The Spread of Ebola

2024-03-28T21:06:23-04:00December 2nd, 2014|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Lifestyle|Tags: |

Dialysis facilities have infection control policies and procedures in place to protect their patients and staff from coming in contact with any blood borne diseases, but diligence in following those policies and procedures is imperative to protect us all. Dialysis staff are instructed to treat all patients with standard precautions. These include gloves, masks over the nose and mouth, shields or goggles for eye protection and waterproof gowns whenever there is risk for exposure. Staff should wash their hands and change gloves between every patient to reduce the risk of transmission of any infectious material, in particular blood.  You should always [...]

Setting up Your Home Dialysis Unit without Feeling like You’re Living in an ICU: Tackling the Storage Problem

2024-03-28T21:06:29-04:00May 28th, 2014|Categories: Home Hemodialysis|

By Linda Gromko, MD and Jane C. McClure, Interior Designer When Linda and her husband, Steve Williams, brought Steve’s dialysis machine home, they felt reasonably confident about the mechanics of home dialysis. But the next day – when sixteen cubic feet of dialysis supplies arrived, they felt overwhelmed! After all, who has even one extra storage closet just waiting to be used? How could they incorporate all this “stuff” into their already busy household? Sound familiar? (Now, it’s true that the newer procedure of preparing dialysate from tap water and storing a couple of batches under the machine will minimize the sheer quantity [...]

Setting up Your Home Dialysis Unit without Feeling like You’re Living in an ICU: Designing Your Home Dialysis Unit

2024-03-28T21:06:31-04:00April 10th, 2014|Categories: eNews, Home Hemodialysis|

By Linda Gromko, MD and Jane C. McClure, Interior Designer This is the third of a four-part series on “Setting Up Your Home Dialysis Unit Without Feeling like You’re Living in an ICU!” We’ve already covered “Top Ten Considerations,” and “Setting Up with Safety First.” In this entry, we discuss the very basics of setting up your unit. Next time, we’ll address storage! The whole process of dialyzing at home can be daunting at first, but the benefits are well worth the effort. Dialyzing at home can provide the ultimate in personal flexibility – plus, more dialysis and more frequent dialysis [...]

“Fistula First” Keeps Life-saving Options Open!

2024-06-07T11:46:42-04:00July 2nd, 2013|Categories: Blog, Hemodialysis|

Linda Gromko By Linda G., M.D. — Guest Blogger Check Out Recent CDC Recommendations on Reducing Infections The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in May 2013 results from a multi-center study on prevention of bloodstream infections in dialysis patients. The problem is enormous: during the study, 37,000 infections occurred in dialysis patients with central lines, at a cost of over $23,000 per admission. Dialysis patients also have a greater risk of contracting infections with resistant bacteria such as MRSA – and developing accompanying complications such as endocarditis (heart valve infection) and osteomyelitis (bone infection). Not [...]

Are You Cut Out to Do Home Dialysis?

2024-03-28T21:06:48-04:00April 8th, 2013|Categories: Blog, Home Hemodialysis|

By Dr. Linda Gromko, MD, Guest Blogger Hi my name is Dr. Linda Gromko and I am a Seattle family practice physician who assisted my husband Steve Williams with both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis for three-and-a-half years before his death in April 2011. In coordination with interior designer Jane C. McClure, I wrote Arranging Your Life When Dialysis Comes Home: “The Underwear Factor’ and two other books about my family’s experience with ESRD. Last month, I discussed the advantages of doing dialysis at home. There’s no doubt that home dialysis – both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis – offer the opportunity for [...]

Arranging Your Life When Dialysis Comes Home

2024-03-28T21:06:51-04:00February 26th, 2013|Categories: Blog, Home Hemodialysis|

By Linda G, Guest Blogger Hi my name is Linda Gromko and I am a a Seattle family practice physician who served as my husband’s Care Partner in both home hemodialysis and home peritoneal dialysis for several years before his death in 2011. I am a strong advocate of home dialysis, and I have co-authored “Arranging Your Life When Dialysis Comes Home: The Underwear Factor” with Interior Designer Jane C. McClure. I also wrote “Complications: A Doctor’s Love Story,” and “Let Me Go When the Banter Stops: A Doctor’s Fight for the Love of Her Life.” I wanted to share my [...]

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