Tidal PD preserves residual kidney function longer

In tidal PD, instead of draining ALL of the fluid out after an exchange, some fluid is always left in the peritoneum. A new, small study suggests that this technique may allow longer use of PD by helping to preserve residual kidney function. After 3 years, 10 dialyzors using tidal PD had significantly higher renal creatinine clearance and urine output than 19 automated PD users.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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Give me a D!

No, it's not your grade in math. A new study has found that deficiency of vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin) is present in 79% of people on dialysis—especially if they start treatment in the winter. Too-low levels have been linked to bone and heart disease. Ask your doctor if your levels are where they should be.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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November 2006 Kidney International supplement focuses on PD

Is survival better on PD or HD? What factors predict PD success? What are best practices in PD catheter placement? Does use of biocompatible PD solution reduce peritonitis? Learn the answers to these and many other key PD questions in the November 2006 supplement of KI. (For kidney professionals who don't subscribe to Kidney International, we've compiled the links to all of the abstracts from the special supplement on PD (November 2006). You can find them below.

• Mortality studies comparing PD and HD: What do they tell us?
• French PD registry (RDPLF): Outline and main results
• PD in the US: Evaluation of outcomes in contemporary cohorts
• Selected best demonstrated practices in PD access
• Use of the embedded PD catheter: Experience and results from a North American Center
• Prevention of infectious complications in PD: Best demonstrated practices
• Microbiology and outcomes of peritonitis in North America
• Impact of new dialysis solutions on peritonitis rates
• Place of PD in the management of treatment-resistant congestive heart failure
• The role of PD in the management of treatment-resistant congestive heart failure: A European perspective
• Mitigating peritoneal membrane characteristics in modern PD therapy
• Profiles of automated PD prescriptions in the US 1997-2003
• Tidal PD: Its role in the current practice of PD
• The role of tidal PD in modern practice: A European perspective
• Glucose sparing in PD: Implications and metrics
• New insight of amino-acid based dialysis solutions
• Management of hyperlipidemia in patients on PD: Current approaches
• Structural requirements for a successful PD program
• Nosogogy: When the learner is a patient with chronic renal failure
• Patient retraining in PD: Why and when it is needed
• Patient and technique survival on peritoneal dialysis in patients with failed renal allograft: A case-control study
• Place of genotyping and phenotyping in understanding and potentially modifying outcomes in PD patients

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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People want treatments that offer FREEDOM

A new study interviewed 52 people who were on one of 4 types of dialysis or had a transplant—and learned that "freedom, convenience, self-care, effectiveness, and simplicity" were important. (We could have told you that.)

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

Tags: Chronic kidney disease

42% higher risk of death found with less-than-4-hour HD

Short standard in-center HD treatments done 3 times a week were linked with a much higher risk of death in a new study of 8,552 people. Of course, "further studies are needed...."

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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A Brazil nut a day keeps the doctor away

Heart disease risk is higher among people on HD, due to oxidative stress (basically rust). Selenium reduces this stress—and Brazil nuts are the best known source. In a new study, 81 people on HD ate one Brazil nut each day. At the end of 3 months, their levels of the protective enzyme GSH-Px were normal.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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CAPD and CCPD come out even in meta-analysis

A Cochrane database review looked at studies comparing CAPD and CCPD for peritonitis, hernias, switching to HD, fluid leaks, hospital stays, and death—and found no significant differences between them. CCPD may have some pluses in terms of schedule for younger, working patients.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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Nocturnal HD protects blood vessels

Damage to smooth muscle cells may be one reason why people on standard in-center HD tend to have more clogged and calcified arteries. In 15 patients studied before and after switching from standard HD to nocturnal HD, there was better smooth muscle growth and less cell death on nocturnal. (Blood pressure, PTH levels, and phosphorus levels improved, too.)

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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Why Canadians choose self-care dialysis

A new study randomized 70 new ESRD patients into standard options classes or to have the benefits of self-care taught with a booklet, video, and small group brainstorms. Compared to the group getting standard education, benefits group patients who valued lifestyle were 7 times more likely to choose self-care; those who valued freedom were 9.1 times more likely.

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

Tags: Chronic kidney disease

Prevent buttonhole infections with Mupirocin

The Buttonhole technique for fistulas lessens needle pain, missed cannulations, and bumpy aneurysms. The only downside? A higher risk of staph infection. A new study finds that prescription mupirocin (Bactroban®) ointment, an antibiotic, reduced that risk by 35 times!

Read the abstract » | (added 2011-02-24)

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