Sensing Savvy

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death. Currently, more than 1 in 3 adults (85.6 million) live with one or more types of cardiovascular disease. Together, heart disease and stroke, along with other cardiovascular diseases, are among the most widespread and costly health problems facing the nation, accounting for approximately $320 billion in health care and related expenditures annually. Fortunately, they are also among the most preventable. Leading controllable risk factors for heart disease and stroke are:

For nearly 50 years, since 1969, the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) has been dedicated to improving the quality of life for kidney patients through education advocacy, patient engagement and the fostering of patient communities. It is a recognized leader in patient-centered education, continually developing high quality, professionally written, edited and reviewed educational pieces covering every level of kidney disease.

Clotting and bleeding are major causes of mortality and morbidity during high risk ECMO therapy that treats the “sickest of the sick” by infusing patients with oxygen-rich blood drawn from an ECMO circuit. One key component of an ECMO circuit is the oxygenator. As a clot develops in the oxygenator over time, the volume of oxygenated blood decreases and less oxygen-rich blood is delivered to the critically ill patient. If the clot gets large enough, the oxygenator will need to be switched out by the perfusionist as quickly as possible and replaced by one that will continue to oxygenate the blood.

As Californians go to the polls on November 6th, they will have the opportunity to vote on Proposition 8, a measure that would cap the outpatient kidney dialysis clinics profits and provide incentives for higher staff levels and pay at their hundreds of California clinics. 

The Controversies in Dialysis Access (CiDA) meeting is a leading educational forum for surgeons, radiologists, nephrologists and medical staff who care for patients with a dialysis access. Its accredited scientific program provides the a comprehensive, interactive education opportunity for all clinicians involved in the care and treatment of dialysis patients. 

The mission of 18,000 member American Society of Nephrology (ASN) is to leads the fight to prevent, treat, and cure against kidney disease throughout the world by educating health professionals and scientists, sharing new knowledge, advancing research and innovation, and advocating the highest quality care for patients. Its vision is to prevent, treat and cure kidney disease.

The need is staggering. Two million people worldwide are estimated to suffer from end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and the number of patients continues to increase at a rate of 5-7% per year. Taiwan, Japan, Mexico, the United States, and Belgium currently have the highest prevalence of ESRD. Mortality rates vary depending on the ESRD treatment. After one year of treatment, those on dialysis have a 20-25% mortality rate, and a 5-year survival rate of 35%.

After review by the by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through its De Novo premarket review pathway, California’s Avenu Medical’s Ellipsys® Vascular Access System received FDA’s clearance to market for EndoAVF creation in June 2018. Approval was received after completing a pivotal clinical trial in the United States with one year patient follow-up.

Definition of Nephrology Nursing: a specialty practice addressing the protection, promotion, and optimization of health abilities, prevention of illness and injury, facilitation of healing, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities and populations affected by kidney disease.

Since it was established as a nonprofit organization in 1969, the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA) has been serving its 8,500 members who span the spectrum of nephrology nursing. ANNA membership consists of registered nurses and other health care professionals who work in all areas of renal care such as conservative management, peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, continuous renal replacement therapies, transplantation, industry, and government/regulatory agencies. Most of 

When Professor Dr. Seiji Ohira, the Director of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Access (JSDA), passed away on September 5th, 2017, the vascular access community lost one of the founding fathers. Professor Ohira was inspirational in the establishment of a collaboration among the premier vascular access scientific societies, namely the Japanese Society of Dialysis Access, the Vascular Access Society, and the Vascular Access Society of the Americas.