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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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 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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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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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

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 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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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 the abstract » | (added 2012-01-26)

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Antibiotic ointment reduces PD exit site infections, but not peritonitis

Researchers studied 1,270 people who used mupirocin ointment on their PD catheters, 502 used gentamycin, and 1,203 did not use an antibiotic ointment. While the ointments helped prevent exit site infections, they did not reduce the rate of peritonitis.

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

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