Category Archives: Anemia
Increased Blood Loss From Access Cannulation Site During Hemodialysis Is Associated With Anemia and Arteriovenous Graft Use
Hemodialysis.com eInterview with Dr Yen-Ling Chiu
Department of Nephrology
No.21, Sec. 2, Nanya S. Rd., Banciao Dist., New Taipei City 220, Taiwan
Hemodialysis.com: What are the main findings of the study?
A: We found that a significant percentage of patients will experience excessive blood loss from the fistula/graft cannulation sites during treatment. Such excessive bleeding is more common among graft users, the elderly and is associated with anemia. These patients are in general less healthy.
Marie Benz, MD on Google+Treatment of Anemia with Darbepoetin Alfa in Systolic Heart Failure
from Angina.com: In patients who have anemia with symptomatic heart failure, treatment with darbepoetin alfa to normalize hemoglobin does not end up reducing morbidity or mortality. Findings suggest that hemoglobin is a marker of poor prognosis in heart failure, rather than a therapeutic target.
An Evaluation of Clinical Factors Associated with the Decision to Transfuse Chronic Dialysis Patients
Cynthia Whitman
Research Coordinator for the UCLA/VA Center for Outcomes Research and Education.
Hemodialysis.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Cynthia Whitman: The main findings of our study include:
- Among 10 patient clinical attributes studied, hemoglobin (Hb) level was found to be the most important for driving provider decision-making regarding red blood cell transfusions in CKD patients, however this attribute alone does not inform providers enough for them to base their decisions.
- 92% of providers transfused when Hb was 7.5 g/dL.
- In multivariable regression, we found Veterans Administration providers 6 times as likely to transfuse earlier at 8.0 g/dL, than others.
- The more experienced providers had (at least 20 years) and the more exposure they had to patients, the more selective they were about using transfusions in CKD patients, and the more likely they were to require the patients to exhibit more serious clinical characteristics such as iron repletion.
Peginesatide for Anemia in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Not Receiving Dialysis
Hemodialysis.com Author Interview:
Prof. Iain Macdougall
Professor of Clinical Nephrology + Renal Unit
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust,
Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS
Hemodialysis.com Editor Marie Benz: What are the main findings of the study?
Prof. Iain Macdougall: The main findings of the study were that peginesatide was as effective as darbepoetin alfa in correcting chronic anaemia in non-dialysis patients.
There was, however, a 32% increase in incidence of the composite safety endpoint compared to darbepoetin alfa. This remains unexplained, and requires further elucidation.
