Originally Posted by About.kaiserpermanente.org
OAKLAND, Calif. — The rate of people starting voluntary at-home peritoneal dialysis rose from 15% to 34% over 10 years at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California, providing a convenient and safe way to manage advanced-stage kidney disease compared with center-based hemodialysis, according to research published today in JAMA Internal Medicine.
“Patients who start dialysis at home generally have a better lifestyle, fewer symptoms, and more opportunities to retain employment,” said lead author Leonid V. Pravoverov, MD, chief of nephrology for Kaiser Permanente’s East Bay service area. “The overall quality of life is known to be better for these patients.”
When kidneys fail, dialysis is the most common way to help keep the body in balance by removing excess wastes and maintaining safe levels of minerals in the blood. It also helps to control blood pressure.
The blood can be cleaned in 2 ways: outside the body with hemodialysis, which uses an artificial kidney to remove wastes and takes place in a hospital or dialysis center, 3 or more times per week; or, inside the body with peritoneal dialysis, which is done daily at home, usually during sleep.
