Salvage of Malfunctioning Peritoneal Dialysis Catheters: An Algorithm for Recanalization and Repositioning.

A peritoneal dialysis catheter salvage algorithm was developed and performed for 40 patients with documented catheter malfunction (obstruction and/or malposition) referred to the interventional radiology suite. This procedure utilized a metallic stiffener for repositioning and rotating dual guide wires for recanalization. A retrospective analysis of 35 cases of fluoroscopic manipulation showed that in 83% of the cases, the catheters were successfully repositioned and/or recanalized, and in 59%, they remained patent at 30 days.

Nurse practitioners in the Northern Alberta Renal Program.

The presence of nurse practitioners (NPs) in nephrology is not a new concept; literature out of the United States documents their existence quite well Since 1973, the collaboration of NPs and nephrologists has provided cost-effective care for dialysis patients and an alternative for health authorities anticipating a nephrologist shortage. Integration of NPs ensures high-quality, cost-effective, patient-focused care. In 1995, NPs began their integration into the Canadian nephrology field and, in 2004, the Northern Alberta Renal Program (NARP) hired its first nurse practitioner.

Access flow in arteriovenous accesses by optodilutional and ultrasound dilution methods.

Background: Most large studies evaluating the diagnostic properties of access blood flow (Qa) in arteriovenous (AV) accesses have used the Transonic HD01 (Transonic Systems Inc, Ithaca, NY) device, and recommended thresholds for angiography are based on data from these studies. There has been little exploration of how the use of other devices might affect the feasibility or performance of screening in AV accesses.

Methods: We compared 2 devices for measuring Qa: the Transonic HD01 and the Crit-Line TQA III (Hemametrics, Salt Lake City, UT).