Home Dialysis Central update
[Vol.4, No.12, December 21, 2007]
Happy Holidays! (And, since we're in Wisconsin, have a happy "Moo" year!) Share the gift of home treatment options with coworkers and dialyzors. Learn more with our DVD—order your copy today! Be sure to let us send you your FREE postcard handouts.
Legislative advocacy pays off!
Recently, we asked you to contact your legislators to keep home dialysis training out of any ESRD bundle of services for Medicare—and it worked! Our aim was to let centers keep billing for training, creating an incentive to help folks go home. So far, so good—the word is that training is no longer included. More news as we have it...
Watch home hemo on WebMD
See Ricky Skiles—featured in a profile on Home Dialysis Central—in a video on the popular WebMD site that reaches more than 40 million visits a month. (NOTE: there is a commercial before the video starts.)
Fresenius buys Renal Solutions
FMC's $190 million purchase of Renal Solutions is expected to strengthen its position in the home dialysis market. At Home Dialysis Central, we are delighted to see another large dialysis organization make a significant investment in improving home treatments. Things are looking pretty exciting out there!
Baxter collaborates with DEKA on a new home HD machine
And another player joins the field! Baxter is back in the HD biz (again), working with DEKA—with whom they developed the Home Choice PD cycler. DEKA was also involved in development of the Aksys PHD home HD machine, so this collaboration should be interesting to watch.
Human trial reports on wearable artificial kidney (WAK) in UK
The competition for better home HD gets even hotter! This month's Lancet includes an article about use of the WAK in 5 men and 3 women, who tried the device for 4-8 hours. There were no adverse heart, electrolyte, or acid-base events—though some access problems did occur, and dialysis itself is not yet optimal. It's still cool, though. Read the abstract.
Need a PD catheter? Laparoscopic placement is better
Some surgeons place PD catheters "blind" (without imaging), while others use a laparoscope to let them see inside of the peritoneum before they insert the catheter. A new study finds—not surprisingly—that it's best to see what you're doing. Laparoscopic placement had a almost an 18% better success rate and fewer revisions or replacments. Read the abstract.
Lipid-lowering drugs save lives on PD
A new look at data from 1,053 people on PD from the USRDS has found that statins and other drugs that lower blood lipid (fat) levels seem to have a big impact on survival. Death rates from all causes or heart disease dropped by 26% and 33%, respectively. Read the abstract.
Bill Doherty felt better after just one week on DHHD
It was June 2003, and 64-year-old Bill Doherty was on his annual Minnesota fishing trip. As he stepped out of the shower one morning, he noticed a sudden, "terrific" swelling in his feet and legs. Alarmed, Bill cut his trip short and drove to the closest large hospital in Duluth, MN. Doctors diagnosed "poor kidney function." Read his story.
Topic of the month: how and why dialysis works - part 2
Dr. John Agar, a nephrologist from Australia who runs the www.nocturnaldialysis.org website, guest-authored this month's article about dialysis solute removal. Read more.
How does Medicare reimburse dialysis clinics for an HD or APD machine, supplies, and support services under Method I?
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:
- Link found between chronic kidney disease and oxygen-deprived tissue
- Pioglitazone lowers cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients with kidney disease
- In Memoriam: Leader in patient advocacy passes on
- Alcavis, HDC Medical announce merger
Featured link: MedActionPlan.com
Need a small, portable way to carry your pills? How about a free, online medication reminder you can print, with pictures of your pills? This site has some great resources, and we've included it in our Helpful Products Catalog. Check it out!
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