Update on Pregnancy in Home Dialysis Patients

For women with CKD, pregnancy may be a goal, but their fertility window is limited and they may not have time to wait for a transplant. Pregnancy rates on dialysis are low, and the pregnancies are high risk—but this may be changing. Intensive HD that improve fertility and live birth rates, with longer gestation and higher birth weights are another option for women on dialysis who want children. Learn principles and practical management of dialysis pregnancies, as well as patient experiences.

Read the abstract » | (added 2024-02-07)

Tags: Pregnancy, Dialysis Pregnancies, Home Dialysis, Fertility, Live Birth Rates

A New, Miniaturized Ultrafiltration System

Collaboration between cardiologists and nephrologists may be key to developing a treatment that can help heart and kidney patients. This article describes extracorporeal ultrafiltration and steps in development of Artificial Diuresis (AD1), a new miniaturized system for ultrafiltration.

Read the abstract » | (added 2024-02-07)

Tags: Artificial Diuresis, Extracorporeal Ultrafiltration, Fluid Overload, Heart Failure, Miniaturization, Portable, Wearable

Patient Training and Safety with Home HD

Despite the paramount importance of safety with home HD, there is “a surprising lack of literature” about it and no consensus on optimal training techniques or schedules, contend the authors of a new study.

Read the abstract » | (added 2024-01-17)

Tags: Home HD, Training Techniques, Home HD Training Schedules

Among Prediabetic Patients, PD Nearly Tripled the Risk of New Onset Diabetes vs. HS

A retrospective cohort study was done of 1426 non-diabetic end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who started PD or in-center HD. Over a 12 year period, 23% of the patients developed NODM. Among patients with prediabetes, those on PD had a 2.93 times higher risk of NODM than those on HD (p <0.001).

Read the abstract » | (added 2024-01-17)

Tags: ESRD, PD, In center HD, NODM, New Onset Diabetes Mellitus

Non-mechanical Complications of PD

Learn from a review of non-mechanical PD complications, including oddly-colored PD effluent, encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis, and metabolic changes.

Read the abstract » | (added 2024-01-17)

Tags: Non mechanical PD Complications, Oddly colored PD Effluent, Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis, Metabolic Changes

The Impact of Abdominal Adhesions on PD

A total of 758 people getting laparoscopic PD catheter placement in Canada; 27% with adhesions, were enrolled in a study of PD catheter complications. Among the adhesion group, 17% had catheter complications such as abdominal pain or flow restriction, vs. 10% in the group without adhesions. Yet, the majority did not have complications, even with adhesions.

Read the abstract » | (added 2024-01-17)

Tags: Intra abdominal Adhesions, Peritoneal Dialysis, Catheter Complications, Laparoscopic PD Catheter Placement

Mechanical Complications of PD

Learn from a review of mechanical PD complications, including leaks, hernias, dialysate flow issues, pain, and changes in breathing. Most of these happen early, due to catheter placement or dialysate filling, though late complications can also occur.

Read the abstract » | (added 2024-01-17)

Tags: Mechanical PD Complications, Catheter Placement, Dialysate Filling

Progression of Brain Atrophy in PD vs. HD

A follow-up study of brain atrophy progression followed 73 PD and 34 HD patients who had brain MRIs, including 42 PD and 25 HD patients who had a second brain MRI. Brain grey matter volume measurement demonstrated faster progression of brain atrophy in PD than in HD, independent of potential confounders.

Read the abstract » | (added 2024-01-17)

Tags: Brain Atrophy, PD, HD

Is Wearable HD Moving Forward?

A review article contends that wearable kidney replacement will “radically reshape the landscape of kidney replacement therapies and have the potential to dramatically improve the lives of individuals living with kidney failure.” Great, but when?

Read the abstract » | (added 2024-01-17)

Tags: Wearable Kidney Replacement, Kidney Replacement Therapies, Quality Of Life

Urgent-start PD vs. Urgent-start HD: Meta-analysis

Analysis of data from nine studies looking at all-cause mortality found a rate of 0.173 for urgent-start PD vs. .214 for urgent-start HD. Those who started PD urgently had lower risks of infection-related death, bacteremia, and other complications, though rates of cardiovascular and cancer mortality were similar.

Read the abstract » | (added 2024-01-17)

Tags: All cause Mortality, Urgent start PD, Urgent start HD, Infection related Death, Bacteremia