DaVita's nocturnal dialysis treatment allows patients to dialyze in-clinic while sleeping overnight

Aug 28 2009

DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), today announced its nocturnal dialysis patient population has reached a milestone, with 1,000 patients having received this life-saving treatment in more than 90 DaVita(R) centers around the nation. DaVita has one of the largest nocturnal patient populations in the country.

Introduced at DaVita in July 2004, nocturnal dialysis is a form of treatment that allows patients to dialyze in-clinic while sleeping overnight - offering kidney care patients the freedom to receive renal replacement therapy while still maintaining a full and active schedule by day, even allowing patients to continue working. Nocturnal dialysis is gentler on the system than conventional dialysis, taking place over approximately six to eight hours while the patient sleeps instead of the three to four hours of daytime treatments. The longer treatment time allows for reduced flow rates, which can be helpful for patients who have complications from conventional dialysis. Patients on nocturnal dialysis often enjoy reduced dependency on blood-pressure medications and an overall improved feeling of wellness.

"DaVita continues to improve care by moving toward a patient-centric approach to modality offerings, which pairs patients with the right modality for their medical needs and social circumstances," said Allen R. Nissenson MD, DaVita's Chief Medical Officer. "DaVita's nocturnal program is an integral part of this approach that continues to grow and better our patients' lives."

Gayle Quinn has found nocturnal dialysis at the Lone Tree Dialysis facility in Denver, Col., to be life altering. "I found it very taxing to leave work at the local bank early enough to get to the dialysis center, do the four-hour treatment and then prepare to double up the next day to take care of the work I missed," Quinn said. "A DaVita nurse later educated me on the potential benefits of longer dialysis treatments with nocturnal - better labs, increased energy, a better fit with my work schedule - and it was an easy choice to make."

Nocturnal dialysis is one of many modalities that DaVita offers patients. Daytime hemodialysis, home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis allow patients to experience new freedom in their lives. DaVita is committed to delivering superior service, which has resulted in clinical outcomes that are consistently the best or among the best in the industry.

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