ObjectiveTo study the clinical characteristics of elderly hemodialysis (HD) patients and discuss how to control their complications, in order to improve their quality of life and lower their mortality rate. MethodContrastive study and analysis were performed on the clinical data of 98 maintenance HD patients (between elderly and young HD patients) between January 2013 and January 2014. Complications, rate of hospitalization and mortality were analyzed during the follow-up of one year. ResultsThe ratio of hypertensive kidney disease and diabetic nephropathy, as primary disease of the elderly HD patients, gradually increased. More people chose to use semi-permanent jugular vein catheter for elderly HD patients. Compared with young HD patients, the levels of hemoglobin, albumin, serum creatinine, KT/v were lower in the elderly patients, and C-reactive protein was much higher (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in cholesterol, triglyceride, calcium, phosphorus, parathormone between the two groups (P>0.05). Dialysis-related hypotension and blocking of vascular access occurred more frequently in elderly HD patients. Hospitalization rate and mortality rate were higher in elderly HD patients (P<0.05). ConclusionsImproving nutritional status, keeping vascular access unobstructed for a long time and decreasing complications related to hemodialysis are helpful for elderly HD patients to enhance their quality of life and reduce the mortality rate.
ObjectiveTo explore the value of ultrasound evaluation and marking before arteriovenous internal fistula in end-stage renal disease hemodialysis patients. MethodsTwenty-five uremia end-stage patients were admitted into our nephrology department from January 2012 to July 2012. All of the patients had encountered several times of fistula failure or had difficulty in establishing the forearm arteriovenous fistula. We focused on observing the brachial artery, radial artery, cephalic vein, the basilica vein and great saphenous vein. We measured the diameter of the vessels and marked the trend of arteries and veins in the body surface under the ultrasonic navigation. Our goal was to look for appropriate bypass vessels in the elbow and the upper arm. ResultsFourteen patients had endured several times of fistula failure. Among the 14 patients, 9 patients completed the surgery of reengineering fistula and autogenous great saphenous vein transplantation, 2 accepted artificial vascular transplantation, 1 completed the removal of blood clots in the left upper limb artificial blood vessels and arteriovenous internal fistula molding, and 2 gave up surgery. Eleven patients could not complete the arteriovenous fistula operation for the fine forearm superficial vein. Of them, 2 patients accepted artificial vascular operation, 6 underwent autogenous great saphenous vein transplantation, 1 with slender radial artery in diameter completed higher position fistula between the brachial artery and median cubital vein, and 2 gave up surgery. ConclusionArteriovenous internal fistula preoperative ultrasound assessment and marking have very important value in improving the success rate of operation in end-stage uremia patients.