Home Dialysis Central update
[Vol.4, No.6, June 27, 2007]
Happy Summer! Home dialysis makes vacation travel easier. Find out how on Home Dialysis Central, and get your FREE postcard handouts today!
Self-cannulation: a bridge to home HD
Needles. Nobody likes them, and many people even fear them. Yet, a thread in the HD Patient message board on self-cannulation is one of our all-time most popular, with more than 18,000 views. Read it for yourself, and learn how expert dialyzors can become in putting in fistula needles.
Lying down during dialysis beats sitting up, new study suggests
When we lie down, our blood plasma volume expands, and when we sit up, it contracts. A new study concludes that nocturnal dialysis causes smaller day-to-day shifts in hemoglobin and serum albumin (protein) than standard, seated treatments. Read the abstract.
Inflammation helps explain EPO resistance on PD
Sometimes high doses of EPO are needed to reach a target hemoglobin. Why? A new study found that on PD, inflammation (measured by c-reactive protein), too-low levels of serum albumin, and abnormal levels of PTH were some of the factors. Read the abstract.
"Compliance" is not the right paradigm for dialysis
A new interview study of home dialysis patients' attitudes found that integrating treatment into their activities to create as normal a lifestyle as possible was their goal. Rather than compliance, negotiation was key—dialyzors' motivation to do their treatments correctly was based on relationships, work, and attitudes toward life. Read the abstract.
Topic of the month: getting on your nerves—neuropathy and dialysis
You may feel burning, tingling, pins and needles prickles in your hands or feet—or parts of them may be numb. What is neuropathy and what can you do about it? We'll give you the scoop on dialysis nerve damage and how to prevent and treat it. Read more.
Innovative papers: "we should abandon Kt/V as a measure of dialysis dose"
Dialysis treatments in the 1960s caused few symptoms—they were much longer and more gentle than today's. Dr. Zbylut Twardowski argues that the renal community's focus on small molecule (urea) removal has led to short, 3x/week symptomatic treatments that don't reflect middle molecule or fluid removal. Read his summary.
Is a dialysis recliner for home hemodialysis separately billable to Medicare for a Method I patient?
Click here to learn the answers to this & other questions about Medicare payment for PD and home hemo.
Read all about it!
Review home dialysis-related news, courtesy of Nephrology News & Issues. This week's stories include:
- Stark announces a hearing on ESAs
- Kidney specialists review plans for disaster response
- For-profit dialysis proposal in New York draws opposition
- Bush vetoes stem-cell bill
Featured link: dialysis museum
Take a step back in time and see what dialysis equipment used to look like at the very beginning. From the Kolph Rotating Drum to PD bottles made of glass, you'll be surprised and amazed by our online Dialysis Museum. Descriptions are courtesy of Baxter, and photos were taken by Jim Curtis. Learn more.