Journal Watch

  • Short daily HD survival 13% better than than standard in-center HD

    When 1,873 short daily home HD patients were matched with 9,365 standard in-center HD patients, those who did more frequent HD had a better chance of living longer.

    Read the abstract » | (added 2012-08-16)

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  • Thrice-weekly nocturnal HD reduces arterial stiffness

    A Turkish study compared 60 people on standard in-center HD to 60 on nocturnal in-center HD. After a year, those who did nocturnal HD needed fewer blood pressure meds, had lower serum calcium and calcium-phosphorus product, reduced left ventricular mass, and their arteries were less stiff.

    Read the abstract » | (added 2012-08-16)

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  • Buttonhole needle technique causes less bleeding, pain

    A small study in Thailand (21 patients') has found that stopping bleeding after removing dialysis needles takes less than half as long with the Buttonhole technique (4.19 +/- 1.66 mins) than with the rope ladder technique (9.12 +/- 2.36 mins), and causes significantly less pain.

    Read the abstract » | (added 2012-08-16)

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  • Metaanalysis: Later dialysis start is better for HD

    Starting dialysis at a lower GFR allows more time for access placement and options education. But the U.S. trend has been to start earlier. A new metaanalysis of 17 studies found that starting dialysis at a higher GFR was linked with a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality—in HD, but not PD. The mortality risk was lower when GFR was calculated than when it was estimated.

    Read the abstract » | (added 2012-08-16)

    Tags: Chronic kidney disease

  • Metaanalysis: More HD boosts heart health

    A metaanalysis of 46 studies concluded that switching from standard in-center HD to longer and/or more frequent HD significantly reduced left ventricular mass and improved blood pressure and the cardiac ejection fraction.

    Read the abstract » | (added 2012-08-16)

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  • Intensive HD survival 50% better than standard in-center HD

    A new study comparing 420 patients in the International Quotidian Dialysis Registry with 338 matched standard in-center HD patients from the DOPPS study found that only 13% of patients who did at least 5.5 hours of HD at least three times a week died—vs. 21% who did standard treatments.

    Read the abstract » | (added 2012-08-16)

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  • PD in older patients

    This study from Ireland looked at 148 people over age 50 who started PD between 1998 and 2008. The mean age was 63; most were over 70. The researchers found no difference in survival or technique survival by age, though older people did need a longer hospital stay to get started on PD.

    Read the abstract » | (added 2012-08-16)

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  • Switch from standard to nocturnal in-center HD reduces left ventricular mass

    Among 37 people in the UK who switched from standard in-center HD to 3x/week nocturnal in-center HD, echocardiograms showed significant drops in left ventricular mass after 12 months. This is a good sign that their hearts are healthier and they may live longer.

    Read the abstract » | (added 2012-01-26)

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  • Arterial stiffness is equally high in PD and standard in-center HD

    Arteries are supposed to be flexible. In a study of 35 people on PD and 26 doing standard HD, both groups had equally stiff arteries that were more rigid than those of the general public.

    Read the abstract » | (added 2012-01-26)

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  • Coiled vs. straight PD catheters—is one better than the other?

    Researchers in China randomly assigned 80 people doing PD to a straight or a coiled catheter and looked at results from an 493 more people on PD. No differences were found in migration of the catheter tips, catheter failure, infection, stopping PD, or death between the two types of catheters. In the larger analysis, coiled catheters had far more problems than straight ones.

    Read the abstract » | (added 2012-01-26)

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