Vascular Access News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has designated Humacyte Inc.'s HumaGraft development program for vascular access in hemodialysis patients as a Fast Track Development Program. HumaGraft is being developed to provide a vascular access alternative for hemodialysis patients to reduce or avoid certain serious complications associated with current forms of vascular access.

This year, the Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative has been updated and re-focused on the goal of increasing the use of AVFs

Using an expensive agent to prevent blood clots in kidney failure patients’ dialysis catheters may turn out to be less costly overall due to its ability to reduce medical complications, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

The U.S Food and Drug Administration has granted indication for the Viabahn Endoprosthesis, made by W. L. Gore & Associates, to treat stenosis or thrombotic occlusion at the venous anastomosis of synthetic arteriovenous access grafts. This new indication allows for the use of the product in hemodialysis patients.

An investigational, manufactured blood vessel used in vascular grafts for dialysis patients show encouraging early results among study patients in Poland, according to preliminary data reported Nov. 20 by a researcher at Duke Medicine.

According to the 2013 annual data report from the United States Renal Data System, the use of catheters is the largest risk factor for infections among hemodialysis patients, and infection rates have increased 43% since 1993. The report also notes that this strong association between the use of catheters and the rate of infections among dialysis patients is well known within the dialysis community. 

The critical role that the choice and utilization of the vascular access type has on clinical outcomes, especially infection rates, hospitalizations, and mortality, is well established

Stuart Mott, LPN, is the author of the article in NN&I's March 2013 issue, "Considerations at initiations of cannulation."  He is a vascular access nurse from Millesburg, Mo.

Use of a simple disinfection cap on catheters can improve disinfection of IV catheters and lower the cost of care, according to research presented at the annual conference of the Association for Vascular Access Oct. 16-19 in San Antonio.