Home Dialysis Central
...everything you need to know about doing dialysis at home.
Journal watch
Nocturnal in-center HD survival about 50% better than standard in-center HD
A Fresenius study followed 946 patients doing 3x/week nocturnal in-center HD with 2,062 matched patients doing standard in-center treatments. After 2 years, 27% of those doing standard treatments had died, vs. 19% of those who did the longer, nocturnal treatments.
Read more | (added Aug 16, 2012)
Short daily HD reduces left ventricular mass
The Frequent Hemodialysis Network trials found significant reductions in left ventricular mass (LVM)—with greater benefit for patients whose left ventricular mass was higher than normal at the start of the study.
Read more | (added Aug 16, 2012)
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 more | (added Aug 16, 2012)
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 more | (added Aug 16, 2012)
How to do urgent-start PD
Researchers developed an urgent-start PD plan to address the needs of people who needed dialysis right away and had not chosen a treatment option. The outcomes of urgent-start PD patients were very similar to those of regular-start patients, though the urgent-start group had more minor leaks.
Read more | (added Aug 16, 2012)
Mupirocin best for preventing PD exit site infections
A new double blind, controlled study of mupirocin antibiotic ointment vs. polysporin found that mupirocin came out on top. Twice as many patients who used polysporin had exit site redness and they were more likely to get fungal infections.
Read more | (added Aug 16, 2012)
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 more | (added Aug 16, 2012)
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 more | (added Jan 26, 2012)
Pregnancy and HD: More is better (Review)
It is harder for women with ESRD to become pregnant and to carry healthy babies to term. Careful team follow up and more intensive dialysis have been shown to improve pregnancy outcomes. This article reviews fertility issues in young women with ESRD, pregnancy outcomes, and management suggestions.
Read more | (added Jan 26, 2012)
Green dialysis: using solar power for HD
Our own Dr. John Agar and other researchers from Australia report on their experience using the sun to power a dialysis clinic and reduce electricity costs by 76.5% In the second and third decades, the new system will pay for itself and contribute power to the grid.
Read more | (added Jan 26, 2012)
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