Home Dialysis Central update

[Vol.4, No.10, October 30, 2007]

It's easier to travel and see the fall colors on PD or home HD. Learn more with our NEW DVD! Order your copy today! And get your FREE postcard handouts to tell fellow dialyzors and professionals.

More cutting-edge info now on Home Dialysis Central

We make a point of gathering the most up-to-date information to make your life easier. Now, we've redesigned our patient resources section to put key home dialysis abstracts, our original Topic of the Month articles, and Medicare FAQs all in one easy-to-find spot. Check out Cutting Edge Info today!

New home dialysis support campaign from DaVita

Too many people are scared away from home dialysis by misconceptions. A new "Truth About Dialysis" campaign by DaVita aims to change all that, through a web blog and "Find the Truth" rallies around the nation (with several coming up on Nov. 11). Get free slippers, too! Learn more.

Home Hemodialysis University

At Home Dialysis Central, we're always delighted to see folks spreading the word about home treatments and giving them tools to get started. DaVita now offers live programs and web conferences to help renal professionals learn more about PD and home HD. See for yourself.

Previous abdominal surgeries don't increase post-op problems on PD

Myth-busting: we love it! In our MATCH-D tool, we note—based on our expert reviewers—that simple abdominal surgeries are NOT a reason to avoid PD. And, here's support: patients who had a history of surgery to the lower abdomen did not have significantly more problems with PD catheter placement than those who didn't. Read the abstract.

Dialysis at night: similar quality of life pluses for PD & nocturnal home HD

It's great to keep daytime free of dialysis—but is nocturnal home HD (NHHD) more of a burden to do than PD with a cycler? Nope. A new study found very similar benefits for physical and mental function, and about the same amount of illness intrusiveness for both. Read the abstract.

Why NHHD improves sleep apnea

As many as 50% of in-center HD patients may suffer from sleep apnea—a condition where breathing stops and starts during the night, causing loud snoring, poor sleep, and even raising the risk of an early death. Turns out, the throat actually narrows on in-center HD, letting less air in. But NHHD can help by making the throat larger again. Strange but true! Read the abstract.

Daily home HD (DHHD) proves feasible (but we knew that, didn't we?)

In a study of 32 patients followed from in-center to DHHD using the NxStage System One, there were significantly fewer adverse events during and between treatments on DHHD than on in-center, blood pressure was lower, fewer drugs were needed, and less water weight was gained between treatments. Good to know! Read the abstract.

Lisa leads an active life on NHHD

After her kidneys failed as a teen in the 1980s due to a rare disease, Lisa used PD, in-center HD, and had two transplants. These days, she works full-time, races dragon boats—and dialyzes at night while she sleeps. Read her story.

Topic of the month: Medicare 101 for home dialysis

Who can get Medicare for ESRD? How does it work? When does it kick in? What will it pay for? Learn all about it in our newest original article. Read more.

Will Medicare pay for home helpers?

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:

Featured link: 5 types of home dialysis

Our 3-page descriptions of CAPD, CCPD, conventional, daily, and nocturnal home HD are useful background for anyone who wants to learn more about treatment at home. Print them and give them out!

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Copyright © 2007 Medical Education Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

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