The Importance of Scheduling Dialysis Treatments Before Natural Disasters Strike
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 [...]