Home Dialysis News

The size and clinical expertise of a dialysis program contribute substantially to successful treatment of peritonitis and other medical issues associated with maintaining a patient on peritoneal dialysis, an Australian study shows.

The prevalence of obesity in patients on peritoneal dialysis was associated with a greater risk for peritonitis requiring hospitalization, according to research published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

Not enough patients on dialysis are using or getting early referral to hospice care, a recently published study in Health Affairs.

Some older patients experienced extended survival when dialysis was initiated at higher levels of kidney function, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Editor’s Note: CVS Health Corporation recently announced a new initiative focused on early identification of chronic kidney disease and the expansion of home dialysis to optimize care for patients. The company will focus on early identification and patient education, followed by the development of a comprehensive home program for hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. CVS Health will initiate a clinical trial to demonstrate a new home hemodialysis device in support of a planned FDA submission to obtain market clearance. The device has been designed to make home hemodialysis safe and simple, company officials said. Nephrology News & Issues asked Bruce Culleton, MD, vice president and chief medical officer of CVS Specialty, about the development of the chronic kidney disease (CKD) care approach and the plans for new home dialysis machines.

According to a study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, certain physical and mood symptoms were prioritized as top symptoms for patients on in-center hemodialysis.

Poor functional kidney status among elderly patients with end-stage renal disease was associated with higher odds of central venous catheter use and initiating hemodialysis and was an independent predictor of 1-year mortality, according to research from the University of Cincinnati.

A research team led by Arbor Research Collaborative for Health and St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto was awarded a 5-year contract from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to study peritonitis infection in patients on peritoneal dialysis.

National health insurer United Healthcare has filed a lawsuit against dialysis provider American Renal Associates, claiming that the company offered joint venture agreements to lure nephrologists out of United Healthcare’s network so that American Renal Associates could then bill United higher rates for dialysis care.

Substantial differences in arteriovenous fistula maturation were seen across some end-stage renal disease networks, according to a study published in the American Journal of Kidney Disease. The research highlighted a need for additional study of provider, practice and regional factors that explain arteriovenous fistula maturation.