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UrduEric Martinez, MD, at Baylor Scott & White Health, discusses how living kidney donors can help those in need of a transplant. What You Need to Know: Risk factors that could lead to kidney transplant include high blood pressure and…
Tag: Dialysis
American Society of Nephrology and Home Dialysis University Expand Collaboration to Enhance Home Therapies Education for Nephrology Fellows
The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) and Home Dialysis University (HDU) launched a collaboration in 2023 to improve nephrology trainees’ knowledge, proficiency, and exposure to home dialysis therapies.
Patients With Obesity and Kidney Failure May Be Newly Eligible for Kidney Transplants
A collaborative study between a bariatric and transplant surgery team has introduced new hope for patients suffering from end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who are also struggling with obesity. The study authors explored the outcomes of metabolic and bariatric surgery in ESRD patients and whether the surgery can improve their eligibility for kidney transplants. The findings are published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).
Quanta™ to Present Highly Anticipated Real-World Evidence at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week 2023
Quanta Dialysis Technologies, a medical technology company committed to making kidney care more accessible with its Quanta™ Dialysis System, today announced the presentation of real-world evidence from its Home Run™ study at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week 2023, taking place November 2 – 5 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Researchers find new pathway to prevent kidney failure for thousands
Researchers at the University of Bristol have made a breakthrough that could prevent certain kidney patients progressing towards renal failure.
Decision-Making Tool for Older Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease Improves Choices
For many adults 70 years and older with advanced chronic kidney disease, choosing the optimal treatment plan is challenging. Multiple options exist, including initiating hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, which may be associated with marginal survival advantages but significant quality of…
Two Couples, Two Kidneys—and All Heart
This Thanksgiving, when the Moraleses think about what they’re thankful for, the Thompsons are at the top of the list.
Spreading hope through humor — Markey Cancer patient, comedian shares her story
As a stand-up comedian, Debra Faulk is an expert at transforming the most difficult and uncomfortable moments of her life into something that lifts others. Active in the local comedy scene, the 54-year-old Lexington native uses standup as a platform to shine a light on serious health issues, with much of her routine inspired by her family’s experiences: one sister dealt with intellectual disabilities while another had breast cancer, her brother served in Desert Storm and came back with PTSD, her father had dementia, and her mother was on dialysis.
Researchers examine what happens when patients can choose concurrent dialysis and hospice care
Today, patients utilizing their Medicare Hospice Benefits with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are forced to make the traumatic choice between continuing dialysis or enrolling in hospice.
Risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the Omicron surge in patients on dialysis: The role of antibody responses and vaccine doses
• Among US adults with kidney failure receiving dialysis, risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection during the Omicron-dominant period was higher among patients without vaccination and with 1–2 doses compared with 3 doses of mRNA vaccines.
• Irrespective of vaccine doses, risk for infection was higher among patients with low circulating levels of anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
Study examines older adults’ quality of life before and after starting dialysis
Among older adults with advanced chronic kidney disease, mental and physical health-related quality of life worsened in the year before they started dialysis treatment, but their quality of life stabilized after dialysis was initiated.
Vaccination protects patients on dialysis from severe COVID-19
In a study of individuals on hemodialysis who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, most had a mild course of COVID-19, but 39%were hospitalized and 13% died.
Stress-relief Music Therapy Can Also Effectively Relieve Pain
Medical results show that music therapy can lower blood pressure, relieve pain during chemotherapy and dialysis, as well as stimulate the elderly brain. The Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University is offering a Music Therapy Program aiming to heal the ever-increasing patients with various chronic diseases in society.
Do family members understand the end-of-life wishes of patients on chronic dialysis?
Most surveyed family members of patients with kidney failure on long-term dialysis reported they had spoken with the patient about their end-of-life wishes but not about stopping dialysis or initiating hospice.
Is “Patient Activation Measure” Relevant for Adults on Dialysis?
• The Patient Activation Measure describes an individual’s knowledge, ability, skills, and confidence in self-managing chronic conditions.
• A recent study examined the measure’s relevance for patients with kidney failure who are undergoing long-term dialysis.
For Individuals Undergoing Dialysis, More Frequent Visits with Kidney Specialists Does Not Improve Patient-Reported Experiences
• Patients with kidney failure did not report better experience with care from more frequent face-to-face visits with kidney specialists at dialysis facilities.
• In fact, more frequent visits were linked with slightly lower patient-reported experiences with kidney-related care.
Improving dialysis through design
Faculty from the McKelvey School of Engineering and the School of Medicine teamed up to design better grafts for dialysis patients.
Immune Responses After COVID-19 Vaccination in Kidney Transplant Recipients and Patients on Dialysis
• A large majority of patients with kidney failure on dialysis—but not kidney transplant recipients—developed antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 after COVID-19 vaccination.
• Vaccination also led to strong T cell responses against the virus that causes COVID-19 in all patients on dialysis, and in nearly 58% of kidney transplant recipients.
Study Examines COVID-19 Among Patients Receiving Home Dialysis
• Patients with kidney failure who are undergoing dialysis—whether at dialysis clinics or at home—face a higher risk of developing COVID-19 and a higher risk of dying from the disease.
Study Provides New Insights on COVID-19 Risk in Patients Receiving Dialysis
• Among individuals with kidney failure who received dialysis at clinics several times each week, COVID-19 risks were higher in patients who were older, had diabetes, lived in local communities with higher COVID-19 rates, and received dialysis at clinics that served a larger number of patients.
• Risks were lower in patients who received dialysis in clinics with a higher number of available side rooms and that had mask policies for asymptomatic patients.
Study Explores Effects of Exercise on Heart, Lung and Metabolic Physiology during Dialysis
Article title: Cardiopulmonary and metabolic physiology during hemodialysis and inter-/intra-dialytic exercise Authors: Scott McGuire, Elizabeth Jane Horton, Derek Renshaw, Klaris Chan, Nithya Krishnan, Gordon McGregor From the authors: “This study is the first to directly compare cardiopulmonary and metabolic physiology during…
Aerobic Exercise May Help Address Dialysis-Related Symptoms in Patients with Kidney Failure
• An analysis of published clinical trials suggests that aerobic exercise lessens several hemodialysis-related symptoms, including restless leg syndrome, symptoms of depression, muscle cramping, and fatigue.
• More research, with more diverse patients, is needed to determine the extent of benefits from aerobic exercise for individuals with kidney failure who are undergoing dialysis.
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY LEADS EFFORTS TO ADVANCE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF COVID-19 VACCINES TO DIALYSIS PATIENTS
Washington, DC (February 25, 2021) —The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) is spearheading efforts to secure direct federal allocation of COVID-19 vaccines to dialysis patients and frontline dialysis workers. This allocation would improve access for a vulnerable patient population, more than half of whom are Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders (NHPIs).
Questionnaire-Based Tool Measures Fatigue in Patients Receiving Dialysis
• A new patient-reported outcome measure assesses fatigue in patients receiving dialysis.
The tool gauges tiredness, energy, and the impact of fatigue on life participation.
Study Reveals Benefits from VA Payment Reforms for Dialysis
• Over the last decade, the Department of Veterans Affairs implemented payment changes to reduce spending on community dialysis treatments and to improve access to care for Veterans with kidney failure.
• The changes led to reduced costs for dialysis sessions and less variation in payments for dialysis.
• The changes led to improved access to dialysis care without change in the quality of that care.
Do Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis Benefit From Routine Assessments of Their Symptoms?
• An assessment of symptoms that was incorporated into routine care for patients undergoing hemodialysis successfully standardized symptom screening processes, improved patient and provider symptom awareness, and empowered patients to raise issues with providers.
• There was little, if any, improvement in the metrics used to assess symptom management, communication between patients and providers, and communication among different types of clinicians.
Story Tips from Johns Hopkins Experts on COVID-19
As COVID-19 continues to impact the world, health care professionals are finding more patients who were diagnosed with the illness but still are dealing with symptoms long after the initial infection has gone. This condition is sometimes referred to as “long COVID.”
National Kidney Foundation, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Release KDOQI Clinical Practice Guidelines on Nutrition
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) in collaboration with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics released today the 2020 Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) Clinical Practice Guideline on Nutrition in Chronic Kidney Disease that will guide health care practitioners who treat people with all stages of kidney disease.
Study Uncovers Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Flu Vaccination Rates among U.S. Dialysis Facilities
• Among US patients undergoing dialysis, those visiting dialysis facilities with higher proportions of minorities are less likely to be vaccinated against influenza, and the disparity seems to be increasing.
VUMC, UCSF Win KidneyX Award for Implantable Home Dialysis System
A $500,000 KidneyX prize has been awarded to The Kidney Project — a collaboration between Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and UC San Francisco (UCSF) — for the development of an implantable dialysis system that would enable patients to safely and effectively treat kidney failure at home.
Many Patients with Kidney Failure Regret Initiating Dialysis
• In a study of adults with kidney failure treated with dialysis, 21% of patients reported regret that they decided to initiate dialysis.
Certain factors were linked with a higher likelihood of experiencing regret
MEASURING BLOOD DAMAGE
Red blood cells sometimes rupture when blood is sent through faulty equipment, such as a dialysis machine. This is called hemolysis. Hemolysis also can occur during blood work when blood is drawn too quickly through a needle, leading to defective laboratory samples. University of Delaware mechanical engineer Tyler Van Buren and collaborating colleagues at Princeton University have developed a method to monitor blood damage in real-time.
Coronavirus may damage kidneys, impact dialysis supplies
. Ashita Tolwani, a nephrologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, explains how COVID-19 is impacting patients and putting a strain on the availability of dialysis supplies..
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Stroke-Prevention Among Patients Undergoing Dialysis
• Among patients with kidney failure and atrial fibrillation, Black, Hispanic White, and Asian patients filled prescriptions of stroke-preventive medications less often than non-Hispanic White patients, and they were more likely to experience stroke.
• Equalizing the distribution of these medications would prevent 7%–12% of the stroke disparity among racial/ethnic minorities.
Thousands of uninsured kidney disease patients strain Texas emergency departments each year
More than 10,000 uninsured patients sought care at Texas emergency departments for lifesaving kidney dialysis in 2017, incurring more than $21.8 million in hospital costs, according to researchers from UTHealth.
New Robot Does Superior Job Sampling Blood
In the future, robots could take blood samples, benefiting patients and healthcare workers alike. A Rutgers-led team has created a blood-sampling robot that performed as well or better than people, according to the first human clinical trial of an automated blood drawing and testing device.
How Do Outcomes for In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Differ in Patients Treated with Long-Term Dialysis?
• Among patients who experience cardiac arrest while in the hospital, those on dialysis were less likely to have a shockable rhythm and more likely to be outside of the intensive care unit at the time of arrest compared with patients not on dialysis.
• Patients on dialysis had lower scores for resuscitation quality, and they were less likely to have defibrillation within 2 minutes.
• Patients on dialysis had a similar likelihood of surviving to hospital discharge, and they had better neurological function at the time of discharge.
Study Examines Safety-Net Care for U.S. Patients on Maintenance Dialysis
This study identified the types of dialysis facilities in the United States that care for “safety-net reliant” dialysis patients—those who are uninsured or have only Medicaid coverage and do not qualify for Medicare.
Racial/Ethnic Differences in Mortality for Patients on Dialysis in U.S. Territories and States
• In an analysis of patients treated with dialysis in the 5 U.S. territories and the 50 U.S. states between 1995 and 2012, the mortality rates were similar for Whites or Blacks, and higher for Hispanics and Asians in the territories.
Peritoneal Dialysis Use Has Increased in the United States after Medicare Payment Reform
• After a Medicare payment policy related to dialysis was implemented in 2011, use of home-based peritoneal dialysis increased significantly.
• Increases were seen for both “early” and “late” peritoneal dialysis: more patients initiated dialysis with peritoneal dialysis and more patients switched from hemodialysis to peritoneal dialysis.
Simulations Characterize Turbulence Caused by Common Connection for Dialysis
The complex interplay among the arteriovenous grafts, the vessels they connect, and the blood they transport has been difficult to simulate with computers, but one new method provides a way. Researchers report in Physics of Fluids on a series of simulations that reconstructed the fluid dynamics affected by the insertion of an AVG.