Improved detection of hepatitis C virus infection by transcription-mediated amplification technology in dialysis population.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains common among patients undergoing maintenance dialysis and plays an adverse effect on survival in this population. Accurate detection of HCV viremia (HCV RNA) in dialysis patients requires a sensitive and specific diagnostic test.

Methods: The Versant HCV RNA Qualitative Assay, based on transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) technique, was prospectively evaluated in 112 dialysis patients.

Optimal timing for secondary arteriovenous fistula creation: devastating effects of delaying conversion.

A chronic hemodialysis patient was referred to interventional nephrology for evaluation of arteriovenous access dysfunction. The patient had been receiving hemodialysis using a left forearm brachiobasilic loop graft for the past 3 years. Physical examination revealed a hyperpulsatile graft.

Salvage of problematic peritoneal dialysis catheters.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a markedly underutilized modality for permanent renal replacement therapy in the United States owing to a low rate of patient referral and high rate of patient dropout or transfer to hemodialysis. One cause for patient loss from PD is problematic PD catheters that often are removed rather than being subjected to simple surgical salvage procedures. We report three patients with problematic catheters and our approach to their management.

Strategies to minimize tunneled hemodialysis catheter use.

While the use of arteriovenous grafts has recently declined, there has been an astronomical increase in hemodialysis patients dialyzing with tunneled dialysis catheters (TDCs). Recent data have indicated that over 70% of the patients with end-stage renal disease initiate dialysis with a catheter. Additionally, up to 27% of the end-stage renal disease patients in the US are using TDCs as their permanent access, with placement rates having doubled since 1996.

Creation of secondary arteriovenous fistulas: maximizing fistulas in prevalent hemodialysis patients.

National Kidney Foundation Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative (NKF-DOQI) guideline 29 suggests that a patient should be evaluated for a secondary arteriovenous fistula (AVF) following each episode of dialysis access failure. Regretfully, it does not appear that this approach is used, even though recent data have emphasized that veins suitable for the creation of a secondary AVF can be identified in dialysis patients who are receiving dialysis via a synthetic arteriovenous graft (AVG) or other type of potentially dysfunctional vascular access. In this study nine patients (five with an AVG and four with an AVF) with vascular access dysfunction undergoing percutaneous interventions were evaluated for secondary AVF creation.

Conversion of tunneled hemodialysis catheter-consigned patients to arteriovenous fistula.

Objective: Despite their high incidence of complications, costs, morbidity, and mortality, nearly 27% of the chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients are receiving treatment via a tunneled hemodialysis catheter (TDC).

Methods: In this prospective analysis, an interventional nephrology team employed an organized program consisting of vascular access (VA) education and vascular mapping (VM) to TDC-consigned patients. A full range of surgical approaches for arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation, including vein transpositions, was exercised.

Vascular access education, planning and percutaneous interventions by nephrologists.

To optimize vascular access care of patients with end stage renal disease, nephrologists themselves are taking a keen interest in the management of vascular access-related issues. Because of their unique clinical perspective on dialysis access and better understanding of the intricacies of renal replacement therapy, nephrologists are ideally suited for this activity. Two areas are the main focus of attention by these specialists: vascular access education and access-related percutaneous interventions.

Iron sucrose in hemodialysis patients: safety of replacement and maintenance regimens.

Background: Parenteral iron replacement and maintenance are frequently required in hemodialysis patients. However, serious adverse events have been reported after single doses of some intravenous iron products. This multicenter phase IV clinical trial examined the safety of iron sucrose for the treatment of iron deficiency and for the maintenance of iron sufficiency in hemodialysis patients.