dialysis

Making life or death decisions has been brought into sharp relief by the COVID-19 pandemic. For the estimated 500,000 people on dialysis in the U.S., that is a bridge already crossed. Having chosen a life requiring continuous life support, do any of them have second thoughts?
A third of patients started on dialysis die within a year. Does that make the care futile?
Hospice provides comfort during the last months of life. But many patients requiring dialysis cannot, or do not, take advantage of this care. We need to do less harm.
California has a ballot proposal to cap profits by dialysis companies. And by the state's own economic analysis, the effect is unknown. Will it help patients, lower costs; or will it harm patients and return money to insurance companies to use as they wish? No one knows but of the 155 ballot measures nationwide, this one has garnered over 14% of all lobbying spending close to $130 million.
The father of a two-year-old toddler was set to donate his kidney to his son and begin the steps necessary for the surgery. But a parole violation has altered the plan, which now might endanger the boy's survival.
The CDC is urging dialysis providers to tighten up infection control practices, in order to stop patients from getting Hepatitis C while undergoing hemodialysis. Question: How is that even possible? Answer: Mainly due to procedural sloppiness and inadequate sanitary practices.