BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the clinical context and effectiveness of arterial percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of arterio-venous fistulae in chronic haemodialysis patients. METHODS Between May 1992 and June 1997, arterial PTA was performed in 33 patients with a total of 35 angioaccess devices of the upper limbs (18 arterio-venous fistulae a...

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service's (CMS), national End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Clinical Performance Measures (CPM) Project is a data collection initiative to identify opportunities for improvement of care to adult, Medicare maintenance dialysis beneficiaries. This analysis of 1999 CPM data characterizes the profile of hemodialysis vascular access in the United States and identifie...

BACKGROUND Real-time ultrasound-guided techniques allow for improved cannulation of the internal jugular vein and femoral vein for hemodialysis; however, these techniques require extra sterilization procedures, specialized probes, or needle guides. A simpler ultrasound vessel localization method was performed to investigate whether this alternative approach would aid in the cannulation of the f...

Dr. Josep M. Campistol, Nephrology Service, Hospital Clinic i Provincial, 170, Villarroel, E-08036 Barcelona (Spain) Dear Sir, The upper graft fistula using the expanded polytetra-fluoroethylene graft (Goret-Tex) is an excellent form of hemodialysis access when adequate forearm veins are no longer available [1]. Causes of failure include thrombosis, arterial stenosis, venous outflow stenosis, h...

INTRODUCTION Acquired antithrombin III (AT) deficiency may induce heparin resistance and premature membrane clotting during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of AT supplementation on filter lifespan in critically ill patients with septic shock requiring CRRT. METHODS We conducted a retrospective case-control analysis based on a 4...