Haemodialysis Treatment (haemodialysis + treatment)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Predicting mortality in patients with malarial acute renal failure

NEPHROLOGY, Issue 1-2 2000
Eli K Westerlund
SUMMARY: Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) III scores, calculated within the first 24 h of admission, were analysed in 108 patients with acute renal failure due to falciparum malaria who were admitted to Bangkok Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Thailand. Twelve (11.1%) patients died. The mean APACHE III score was 82.0 ± 25.5 (range, 45,171). There was a close relation between the APACHE III score and the hospital mortality rate. The non-survivors had significantly higher APACHE III scores than the survivors, 109.8 ± 36.7 and 75.7 ± 21.6, respectively (P < 0.001). Patients with APACHE III score , 82 had a 4.2-fold higher risk of dying compared with patients with a lower score (95% CI 1.2,14.7; P = 0.013). Haemodialysis treatment was performed in 97 (89.8%) of the patients. The mean APACHE III score for patients who were not treated with haemodialysis (95.9 ± 38.0) was not significantly higher than those who received haemodialysis (80.4 ± 23.5; P > 0.05), but the former had a 4.4-times higher risk of dying compared with those dialysed (95% CI 1.6,12.3; P = 0.019). Using the APACHE III score and its ability to predict death, we calculated its sensitivity, specificity and accuracy to be 0.92, 0.31 and 0.41, respectively, at a cut-off score of 67 points. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.75. The APACHE III scoring system correlated well with the outcome of critically ill malaria patients with acute renal failure, although it was not possible to identify individual survivors or non-survivors. APACHE III should not be used for individual prognosis or treatment decisions. [source]


Central venous access for haemodialysis: prospective evaluation of possible complications

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 2 2007
Denise De Andrade PhD
Aims and objectives., The combination of chronic renal insufficiency and haemodialysis represents a challenge for health professionals. Chronic renal insufficiency patients undergoing haemodialysis treatment through a temporary double-lumen catheter were prospectively studied in order to identify the type and frequency of local and systemic complications. Methods., A six-month period was established with a view to the inclusion of new cases. Data were acquired through interviews, clinical assessment and patient records, and entered into a Microsoft Excel database through a double entry system and exported to the Statistical Package Social Sciences software. Sixty-four patients were evaluated prospectively, of which thirty-eight (59.4%) were men and 35 (54.7%) required catheter insertion for immediate treatment. During the study period, 145 catheters were inserted, ranging from 1 to 7 implants per patient, 29 (45.3%) were single insertions and 127 (87.6%) catheters were inserted into the jugular vein. The catheters were left in place for an average of 30 days. Results., Forty-one (64%) presented inadequate functioning, after about 26 days. A febrile state occurred in 24 (37.5%) patients after 34 days, secretion at the catheter entry site in 27 (42.2% after 26 days and bloodstream infection was encountered in 34(53%) after 34 days. Of the 61 blood culture samples, thirty (49%) were positive for Staphylococcus aureus that was the microorganism most frequently isolated. Conclusion., The findings indicate worrying aspects such as the catheters permanence time, exposing patients to different complications, including infection. Furthermore, inadequate catheter functioning leads to inefficient haemodialysis treatment. Relevance to clinical practice., Knowledge about complications allows for systematic care planning, prevention and control actions. [source]


A2. The carer's perception of dietitians' advice and its impact on the management of patients receiving haemodialysis

JOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 5 2000
M. A. Rezaie
Background Patients with end stage renal disease and their carers suffer many changes in their daily life style as a result of haemodialysis (HD) treatment. Information and education concerning the management of dietary requirements and restrictions for renal patients should be aimed at both patients and their carers. Aim This study investigated the impact of dietitians' involvement and advice on the carers' ability to manage patients' dietary/fluid requirements. Method A total of 36 carers of renal patients receiving unit haemodialysis treatment were randomly recruited into this study from a hospital in Cardiff, Wales. All the carers completed the Haemodialysis carers questionnaire (HCQ), specifically designed for this study, delivered to them in the outpatient clinic by the dietitian. Results Of the 36 carers, 22 (61%) were female, six (16.7%) were male and eight (22%) did not report their gender. Thirteen (36%) of the carers were between the ages of 20,54 years and 23 (64%) were 55 years of age and older. Twenty-six (72%) of the carers involved in this study were spouses and 34 (94.4%) of the carers lived with the patient. The mean duration of haemodialysis treatment for the patient was found to be 20 months. The results indicated that although the majority of the carers were informed about patients' dietary and fluid restrictions, 45% had not received any dietary information. Dietitians' one-to,one interactions with the carer was the most effective way of providing information in enabling them to better manage the patient compared to other methods such as leaflet and information packs (P = 0.01). The majority of the carers knew how to contact the renal dietitian, however, many did not (P = 0.001). Almost all the carers considered receiving information about the purpose of HD, feed back on the patients' condition, fluid/dietary restriction and details of available community resources as very important. Those carers who had the benefit of a dietitian's involvement believed that their advice was very helpful and enabled them to cope better with the management and complications of patient fluid and dietary requirements (P < 0.02). Strong correlations were found (rs = 0.67; P < 0.01) between the amount of information received by the carers and the level of the carers satisfaction with this information. In contrast, there were no significant correlations between the amount of information received by the carers and different aspects of managing the patients' diet, because 45% of the carers received none or little information. Conclusions Dietitians should involve the carers in the management of HD patient's dietary/fluid requirements and restrictions in order to provide better quality of care and quality of life for both the patient and the carer. [source]


Review article: Low-molecular-weight heparin as an alternative anticoagulant to unfractionated heparin for routine outpatient haemodialysis treatments

NEPHROLOGY, Issue 5 2009
ANDREW DAVENPORT
SUMMARY Unfractionated heparin is currently the most widely used anticoagulant for outpatient haemodialysis. However, unfractionated heparin is a series of molecules, and as such has variable pharmacodynamics. Low-molecular-weight heparins were developed to improve both drug pharmacokinetic and dynamics, so to provide a reliable predictable clinical effect. The low-molecular-weight heparins are potent agents, but have an increased half-life compared with unfractionated heparin, and also require specialist laboratory monitoring. Despite these apparent drawbacks, low-molecular-weight heparins have become the anticoagulants of choice in Western Europe for routine outpatient haemodialysis sessions, due to the reliability of their clinical effect, and ease of administration, coupled with cost reduction. In standard clinical practice laboratory monitoring is not routinely performed, with drug dosing assessed by clinical inspection of the extracorporeal circuit, and the time for fistula needle sites to stop bleeding. [source]