Home Dialysis News

This month marks the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. It was one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history, and the costliest. Officials have confirmed 1,833 deaths related to the storm activity, and close to $108 billion in damages.

Editor's note: We posed a series of questions to two members of the Fresenius Medical Care Disaster Team that responded to Hurricane Katrina 10 years ago: Bill Numbers, senior vice president of Operations Shared Services, and Bob Loeper, vice president of Fresenius Medical Services’ Strategic Project Management.

Baxter International Inc.  is voluntarily recalling one lot of intravenous (IV) solution to the hospital/user level due to the potential for leaking containers, particulate matter and missing port protectors. Baxter said it was made aware of these issues through customer complaints. There have been no adverse events associated with this lot reported to Baxter to date.

A study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN) shows that many dialysis patients are unprepared for disasters and emergency situations. Patients on dialysis are vulnerable during emergencies or disasters due to their dependence on technology and infrastructure such as transportation, electricity and water to sustain their lives.

The non-profit Medical Education Institute (MEI) has released Dialyze to LIVE, a free, inspirational booklet that showcases the possibilities for people who need dialysis.  Dialyze to LIVE features six stories of people who have made home dialysis part of an active and rewarding lifestyle.  The booklet is currently only available for download on the Home Dialysis Central website, but print copies may be offered in the future if there is demand, MEI said.

Update, January 2015: US Renal Care and DSI Renal  finalized a merger in January 2015. At press time, the company now operates 300 outpatient clinics, 147 home dialysis programs and 26 acute care hospital contracts treating approximately 23,000 patients in 33 states and the Territory of Guam.

Two more studies have demonstrated that Rockwell Medical's Triferic (ferric pyrophosphate citrate, or FPC) delivered via dialysate during hemodialysis replaces iron loss, maintains hemoglobin, and does not increase iron stores. A smaller study published online July 8 in Kidney International found similar results.

Chronic kidney disease patients living in health care communities, such as nursing facilities and assisted living facilities, face unique challenges related to maintaining a renal-specific diet, according to a study entitled "The nutrition needs of patients with chronic kidney disease in health care community settings, published in the July 2015 issue of the Journal of Renal Nutrition.

Renal Ventures Management, LLC said they would begin remote monitoring a selection of their dialysis patients using Telehealth Solutions from Authentidate Holding Corp. The pilot program will be conducted in the Dallas region, and if successful in decreasing hospitalizations and mortality, may roll out company wide.

Carlos is a 48-year-old man who started in-center hemodialysis on June 4 2014 to treat his kidney disease. At the initiation of dialysis, he was facing a multitude of challenges, including confusion and memory loss due to a recurrent cerebrovascular accident (CVA), physical and cognitive rehabilitation needs, uncontrolled diabetes with suboptimal management, fluid overload, and severe malnutrition. Despite his excellent support system at home, his family felt they had little understanding and knowledge of kidney disease and his deteriorating health status. Moreover, his insurance limited access to services available in the community for his overall recovery.