Home Dialysis Central
...everything you need to know about doing dialysis at home.
Journal watch: PD
PD (vs. in-center HD) and less bad breath
After 3 months on PD, 42 people in a new study had more saliva—and less bad breath.
Read more | (added Mar 30, 2011)
PD doesn’t zap your heart
"Myocardial stunning" occurs in HD due to brief periods of not enough blood flow to the heart muscle. Over time, as this happens over and over, it can cause heart damage. In a small study (just 10 people) looking at heart muscles, PD exchanges did not reduce blood flow to the heart—so, no stunning occurred.
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
Fungal peritonitis (FP)? Take catheter out sooner rather than later
FP is a rare but serious problem on PD—and it can be lethal. A new study of 94 cases found that survival was nearly 3 times better when the infected catheter was removed within 24 hours of diagnosis.
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
Future of the artificial kidney
Learn the latest on futuristic dialysis with wearable and miniaturized devices!
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
Naturally higher red blood cell counts do NOT reduce survival
It never made sense to us that a "normal" hemoglobin level would somehow become harmful in kidney failure. And, in fact, it's not the Hgb itself that causes harm. A new DOPPS study of 545 people on dialysis whose Hgbs were normal without ESA drugs found no difference in survival.
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
More people are being told about PD
In 1997, the DMMS Wave 2 study found that fewer than 25% of people with kidney failure were told about PD. A new survey of people surveyed from 2005–2007 found that 61% were told—though just 10.9% of them chose PD. Still—major progress!
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
Yet another call for PD first
Doctors at the University of Missouri have written an article noting that PD is under-used, and suggest ways to promote PD as a first dialysis option. Good idea!
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
Dialysis at a crossroads: 50 years later
The well-known and highly respected nephrologists who sent a letter to CMS about how to improve dialysis care—with longer and/or more-frequent treatments—have written an article summing up their thoughts.
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
Meta-analysis: Icodextrin PD fluid really does have advantages
In a study of 9 randomized controlled trials, icodextrin removed much more water from the blood of people who did PD than standard glucose-based PD fluid without causing any more health problems for them.
Read more | (added Aug 22, 2011)
Vitamin D deficiency linked with EPO resistance
What if resistance to EPO is related to low levels of vitamin D that tend to occur in people on dialysis? A new study looks at just that, and found a link. While more rigorous studies are needed, it's an intriguing thought...
Read more | (added Feb 24, 2011)
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