New Tools for Home Dialysis

Dialysis patients spend around four hours a day, three times a week, connected to a large machine in a crowded dialysis center. Now, new systems are aiding the growing movement toward daily dialysis in the home, which research suggests may make patients healthier.

A new peritoneal hemodialysis (PHD) system weighs 300 pounds but boasts simplicity. It is designed to require less training time, less set-up time, and less effort to operate, allowing patients to spend less time on dialysis. A touch screen provides step-by-step instructions that lead patients through the process. Many steps, such as system-wide hot water disinfection and preparation of ultrapure dialysate, are performed automatically. An extended-use corporeal circuit is cleaned, disinfected, and tested while still in place, eliminating daily set-up/tear-down.

This PHD system was developed by Aksys, Ltd. (Lincolnshire, IL, USA; www.aksys.com). The company believes that the PHD system addresses the primary drawback of peritoneal dialysis by delivering a substantially greater dose of dialysis in significantly less time. Also, by enabling the use of more frequent, shorter hemodialysis, the system overcomes other limitations such as the risk of peritonitis and patient noncompliance to the regimen.

Another new system, called System One, is from NxStage Medical (Lawrence, MA, USA; www.nxstage.com). It weighs only 70 pounds, is a portable machine, and offers simple user controls.

Both systems have been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and both are designed to offer better clinical outcomes, lower total treatment costs, and improved quality of life for patients.





Related Links:
Aksys
NxStage Medical