A study shows that patients would prefer home-based dialysis to being connected to a kidney machine.
When the kidneys fail, there are two options – either use of a kidney machine in a hospital unit, or peritoneal dialysis, where a cleansing solution is fed into the abdominal cavity via an indwelling tube to wash away the kidney waste. Peritoneal dialysis can be done at home.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have now conducted a survey of kidney patients and found that 85 per cent of those on peritoneal dialysis rate their care as excellent.
This is compared to just 56 per cent of those receiving treatment on a kidney machine. The researchers believe patients like the added independence of being on home treatment, which is also less time consuming. They wonder if the patients are being given all the information they need about the two treatment choices. It may be that many of those on kidney machines would prefer to be on peritoneal dialysis if they knew about it.
Only ten per cent of kidney patients in the US use peritoneal dialysis, whereas in the UK and elsewhere in Europe it is becoming the treatment of choice. ~tele-management.ca~
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