Effective and safe IV iron and anemia management during home hemodialysis: a dialysis facility’s experience Monica Utley Studies have shown that IV iron therapy, in conjunction with EPO, is essential in managing anemia in patients on hemodialysis. In addition, data have shown that IV iron therapy can be safely administered during hemodialysis, whether performed at […]
Category: Nephrology Nursing Journal
Aranesp : a new erythropoiesis-stimulating protein Christine Chmielewski Erythrocyte production is controlled by a biofeedback sequence that starts when the kidneys secrete the natural hormone erythropoietin in response to tissue hypoxia. This red blood cell-stimulating hormone initiates a cascade that causes cellular precursors in the bone marrow to evolve, resulting in the formation of mature […]
Patient education and the nursing process: meeting the patient’s needs Rebecca Wingard Data indicate that providing patients with a solid knowledge base has a significant impact on outcomes. A study of 372 randomly-selected patients on dialysis conducted by the Life Options Council, for example, found that higher levels of knowledge and a greater degree of […]
Peritoneal Dialysis: A Case Home Visits Jeannine Farina When training patients to perform home peritoneal dialysis (PD), emphasis and education are placed on the environment where the actual dialysis will be performed. However, the PD training usually takes place within a controlled environment in a dialysis unit and, in some instances, a specific home training […]
Prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy: the rational use of sodium bicarbonate Reymond Barreto The incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is increasing due to the growing number of patients undergoing radiocontrast studies. More than a million radiocontrast procedures are performed in the United States annually and, of the patients who undergo these procedures, approximately 150,000 of them […]
The Efficacy of Reteplase in the Treatment of Thrombosed Hemodialysis Venous Catheters Debra Castner Tunneled cuffed venous catheters are the method of choice for temporary venous access in hemodialysis patients (National Kidney Foundation, 1997). However, maintaining patency by preventing and/or lysing thromboses in catheters remains a challenge (Northsea, 1996). The National Kidney Foundation (NKF)/DOQI (Dialysis […]
Efforts to Improve Patient Care Outcomes Continue at a Strong Pace Sally D. McCulloch The enormous effort to improve patient care outcomes in persons with ESRD by the development and publication of the DOQI (National Kidney Foundation – Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative) guidelines lives on. The publications are intended to be living documents and as […]
Sirolimus: Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Inhibitor to Prevent Kidney Rejection Patricia A. Cowan Lifelong administration of multiple immunosuppressants is usually required to maintain function of a transplanted kidney. Selection of immunosuppressant agents has been geared toward preventing acute rejection and minimizing drug-induced side effects. In recent years, a number of new immunosuppressant agents have been […]
Anemia Management Practices in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients Case Study of the Anemic Patient Mary Ann MacCracken The National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (NKF-K/DOQI) recommends a target hemoglobin (Hb) range of 11 to 12 g/dL (hematocrit [Hct] of 33% to 36%) for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This target range has been […]
Diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus Troy A. Russell A 34-year-old Caucasian male, R.W., was seen in the nephrology clinic on the advice and referral of his primary care physician. A recent fasting lipoprotein analysis revealed a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level of 134 mg/dL, a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level of […]