Treatment Options

The DPC Education Center kicked off it’s 2016 education call series last Thursday on a topic important to all kidney disease patients: Dialysis 101. Debbie Cote, a nephrology nurse and administrator for several facilities in Virginia, was our featured presenter. She covered all aspects of the dialysis treatment including access types, how the machine works, and what labs to monitor during and after treatment.

The two-day treatment gap between in-center hemodialysis patients is associated with more hospital admissions and an increased mortality rate, according to a report published in Kidney International.

On April 9, Education Manager Joanne Smith hosted an educational conference call and webinar on treatment options for kidney patients. Smith has been a nephrology nurse for 32 years, and provides in-home training to patients on peritoneal and hemodialysis. Click here to listen to a recording of the call and view the accompanying Powerpoint slides.

Since dialysis is necessary to sustain life for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, it is imperative that both facilities and patients plan ahead when it comes to scheduling dialysis. It is particularly important to plan for any facility closures, which are bound to happen during natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy. Unfortunately, approximately 40% of dialysis patients in the regions most affected by Hurricane Sandy - New York and New Jersey - failed to schedule dialysis in the days before the hurricane struck.