Home Dialysis Central
...everything you need to know about doing dialysis at home.
Journal watch: PD
A honey of an idea
Some clinics help prevent peritonitis in people with PD by using an antibiotic ointment. But bacteria may become resistant. In Australia, a new randomized study of Medihoney, a honey-based wound dressing (which is FDA-approved in the US) will see whether exit site or tunnel infections or peritonitis can be reduced.
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
Home FIRST—a new paradigm
Why is the least effective—and most costly—form of treatment the default choice in the U.S.? A new article asks this question, and suggests that we present treatment options in terms of home vs. in-center, rather than HD vs. PD.
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
In-center HD pill burden lowers quality of life
Taking (and paying for) an average of 19 pills each day (with a strict fluid limit!) reduces health-related quality of life in people using standard in-center HD, a new study finds. Of course, every form of home treatment requires fewer pills!
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
Hope predicts a better adjustment to dialysis
How important is hope? A new study finds that hopeful people on dialysis were less anxious and depressed and had fewer symptoms. (We'd bet that home dialyzors are more hopeful.)
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
Removing adhesions improves PD catheter survival
In a series of 436 PD catheter placements using a laparoscope, Drs. Crabtree and Burchette from Kaiser Permanente reduced catheter loss from blocked flow to just 0.7% by removing adhesions—even in people with prior abdominal surgeries.
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
New resource for intraperitoneal drug delivery
On PD, it's not hard to inject a drug into the PD bag so it goes into the peritoneum. Which drugs are safest and most effective this way? A new article tells you the scoop.
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
Pain meds may one day protect the peritoneum
COX-2 inhibitors fight pain and inflammation. A new study in mice has found that COX-2 drugs were able to reduce fibrosis and damage to the peritoneum caused by PD fluid. This finding may one day help people to do PD longer.
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
Icodextrin improved nutrition and inflammation in PD
Replacing glucose-based PD fluid with icodextrin led to 66% better fluid removal, significantly higher protein levels, and significantly lower levels of the inflammation marker CRP.
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
Hope for peritoneal fibrosis?
Over time, the peritoneum can become fibrous and thickened, and less able to filter the blood during PD. A new study in rats suggests that erythropoietin (EPO) may help. Rats treated with EPO had less fibrosis. Down the road, perhaps this finding will help people.
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
Female sexual function better on PD than standard in-center HD
If you're a woman, a new study finds that a transplant is the best way to restore your sexual function to normal levels. But PD did a much better job than standard HD—and the study didn't look at daily or nocturnal HD.
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
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