Vascular Access News

The National Kidney Foundation has released the latest Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative Clinical Practice Guideline for Vascular Access.

The FDA has granted a de novo classification order to Bluegrass Vascular Technologies for its Surfacer Inside-Out Access Catheter System. The device was designed to enable central venous access in patients with venous obstructions, according to a press release.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The buttonhole technique for vascular access is safe for home hemodialysis as long as patients are diligent about skin preparation and cannulation, clinicians from Fresenius Medical Care reported in a poster presentation.

A drug-coated balloon was superior to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty at 1 year for primary patency and clinically driven target lesion revascularization in patients with de novo or restenotic arteriovenous fistula lesions, according to new data from the IN.PACT AV Access study.

Racial and sex differences exist for patients on hemodialysis regarding time spent on a central venous catheter and the likelihood of transferring to permanent access, according to study results.

For dialysis access, the likelihood of arteriovenous fistula placement and subsequent maturation varied based on specific surgeon characteristics, according to this study.

Published research suggests access-related Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia rates were nearly seven-times higher for patients on hemodialysis who were cannulated using the buttonhole needling technique compared with stepladder/area puncture.

Published findings report that, for vascular access in hemodialysis, the creation of an arteriovenous fistula using an endovascular approach — which avoids an open surgical procedure — was associated with patency at 2 years and a high level of patient satisfaction.

WASHINGTON — Research presented at ASN Kidney Week suggested that use of a tool that measures clot stiffness could help monitor patients on dialysis for vascular access complications.

Medtronic plc has received approval from the FDA for its IN.PACT AV drug-coated balloon, which was designed to prevent vessel restenosis, thereby enabling arteriovenous access sites to continue functioning properly for patients on hemodialysis. The company's IN.PACT Admiral device already received a CE mark for the treatment of failing AV access in 2016.