This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
CDC releases recommendations for performing hemodialysis in patients with Ebola
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
The Centers for Disease Control has released recommendations for hospital-based dialysis providers to help them safely perform hemodialysis in patients confirmed to have Ebola. The CDC collaborated with the American Society of Nephrology to develop the recommendations.
"Inpatient care of patients with Ebola should be provided in a hospital with capacity to perform continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT)," according to the CDC. "Efforts to minimize direct blood exposure to healthcare personnel and blood contamination of the environment are of principal importance due to the high concentration of Ebola virus that can be present in an infected patient’s blood and the large volumes of blood involved in hemodialysis."
The American Society of Nephrology has also developed frequently asked questions regarding Ebola virus disease and dialysis, and a podcast that features an interview with Dr. Harold Franch, who successfully dialyzed a patient with Ebola, about Ebola's effects on kidney function and considerations that nephrologists should take into account when treating a patient with Ebola, including steps to minimize threats to health care professionals administering dialysis.-by Rebecca Zumoff