Dialysis News and Research

Latest Dialysis News and Research

Doctors meet to get it right for new Orange hospital

The furore over the new Bathurst hospital which has been deemed dysfunctional by medical staff is now being followed by another uproar this time over plans for a new hospital in Orange in central western New South Wales.

21 Feb 2008

Different treatments for acute kidney failure often have similar outcomes

An analysis of studies examining treatments for acute kidney failure indicates that intermittent hemodialysis and continuous kidney replacement therapy appear to lead to similar clinical outcomes, including a similar risk of death, according to an article in the February 20 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

20 Feb 2008

Warning about deaths and serious reactions linked to blood thinning drug heparin

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States says the production of a popular blood thinning drug has been halted temporarily after more than 300 reports of health problems associated with the drug.

13 Feb 2008

Baxter's multiple-dose vial Heparin linked to severe allergic reactions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that Baxter Healthcare Corporation has temporarily stopped manufacturing multiple-dose vials of the injectable blood-thinning drug heparin due to reports of serious allergic reactions and hypotension (low blood pressure) in patients who receive high "bolus" doses of the drug.

11 Feb 2008

Why is scratching so nice?

In the first study to use imaging technology to see what goes on in the brain when we scratch, researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have uncovered new clues about why scratching may be so relieving - and why it can be hard to stop. The work is reported online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology and will appear in a future print issue.

31 Jan 2008

British Prime Minister in favour of presumed consent for organ transplants

British Prime Minister Gordan Brown is calling for a debate on organ donation and says he is in favour of a policy known as "presumed consent" ; this would allow for organs to be transplanted without consent.

14 Jan 2008

Drug deferoxamine boosts bone healing and re-growth

A drug originally used to treat iron poisoning can significantly boost the body's own ability to heal and re-grow injured bones, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

10 Jan 2008

Americans pay the most for prescription drugs and still don't take them

An international study of dialysis patients shows that although U.S. residents have the highest out-of-pocket drug costs, even those who can afford their prescription drugs are far less likely to take them than patients in other countries.

9 Jan 2008

FDA clears first rapid blood test for MRSA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced it has cleared for marketing the first rapid blood test for the drug-resistant staph bacterium known as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which can cause potentially deadly infections.

3 Jan 2008

FDA approves Voluven for blood loss post surgery

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Voluven, an intravenous solution that prevents and treats a dangerous loss of blood volume, a condition that sometimes occurs during and after surgery.

28 Dec 2007

Link between chronic kidney disease and hypoxia

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered how low-oxygen conditions can worsen chronic kidney disease (CKD).

20 Dec 2007

U.S. healthcare facilities aren't doing enough to protect patients from MRSA

U.S. healthcare facilities aren't doing enough to protect patients from Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, according to a new poll of infection control professionals released today.

12 Dec 2007

Study questions impact of hemoglobin variations on mortality in dialysis patients

For patients with dialysis-related anemia, the risk of death is increased when hemoglobin levels remain persistently low over a period several months - not necessarily when they fluctuate over time, according to a study in the January Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

5 Dec 2007

Acute renal failure after non-cardiac operations

Patients undergoing major, non-cardiac surgery have a one percent risk of developing kidney failure, and those who do have kidney damage are at increased risk of death within a month after their operation.

26 Nov 2007

New anemia measure predicts risk of death in dialysis patients

A new indicator of variations in hemoglobin level over time is a strong predictor of the risk of death among patients receiving dialysis for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), reports a study in the December Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

15 Nov 2007

Chronic kidney disease common in U.S. - obesity, diabetes, hypertension and aging population contribute to increase

There is a high prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the United States, which has risen over the past decade, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

6 Nov 2007

Breast cancer screening may not be cost-effective for older women on dialysis

For older women on dialysis, routine mammograms to screen for breast cancer may not be a cost-effective use of medical resources, according to a paper being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 40th Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Francisco.

6 Nov 2007

Medical causes of iatrogenic renal disorders

Nephrologists and other health care providers need to be aware of certain medications and diagnostic test preparations that, in some patients, can cause damage to the kidneys, according to a special clinical update being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 40th Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Francisco.

5 Nov 2007

Canadian beef the culprit in E.coli outbreaks in U.S. and Canada

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a warning to the public regarding various beef products.

29 Oct 2007

Charcot foot becoming more common

Charcot foot is a sudden softening of the foot's bones caused by severe neuropathy, or nerve damage, a common diabetic foot complication. It can trigger an avalanche of problems, including joint loss, fractures, collapse of the arch, massive deformity, ulcers, amputation, and even death. As the disorder progresses, the bottom of the foot can become convex, bulging like the hull of a ship.

24 Oct 2007