AAKP News of the
Month: Artwork Contest Winners Announced!
AAKP is proud to announce the winners of the 2010 AAKP Artwork Contest. The winners are:
1st place-Nellie Ferrante (dialysis patient)
2nd place-Melody Kirby (caregiver and transplant donor)
3rd place-Mary Mitchell(dialysis patient)
Visit the AAKP website to view the winners. The selected pieces of artwork are being turned into all occasion greeting cards. AAKP is now taking pre-orders for the greeting cards. Call AAKP at (800)749-2257 or go to www.aakp.org to place your order. | |
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| Death Risk is Lower with Peritoneal Dialysis | | Compared with hemodialysis (HD) patients, peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, especially non-diabetics, show a consistent survival advantage for up to five years, according to new research. Researchers compared the death risk of PD versus HD in 9,277 patients over five years. Among non-diabetic patients, PD patients age 60 and younger had an approximately 40 percent decrease in five-year mortality risk compared with HD patients. Non-diabetic PD patients older than 60 had a 35 percent reduced risk. Diabetic PD patients had a 20 percent decrease in first-year mortality risk regardless of age.
To learn more about your peritoneal dialysis options, visit http://www.aakp.org/brochures/peritoneal-options/. |
| There's Still Time to Get Your Board Nominations In! |
There's still time to get your nominations in for the AAKP National Board of Directors. The elections are held in July, with new members seated at AAKP's Annual Convention in September. Board members serve two-year terms. The deadline to submit nominations is May 21, 2010.
The AAKP Board of Directors is responsible for establishing goals and policies for the Association. Board members must attend three meetings each year, participate in conference calls and committee membership. For more information about the AAKP Board of Directors or to request a nomination form, please contact AAKP at (800) 749-2257 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (800) 749-2257 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (800) 749-2257 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (800) 749-2257 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit the AAKP website to download the nomination form. Self nominations are encouraged. |
| Poor Preparation Puts Many Dialysis Patients at Risk |
Patients with failing kidneys who are well prepared for dialysis when the time comes are much more likely to survive their first year of using the blood-cleansing machines. In a new study, researchers found most of the nearly 200,000 patients in their study were not prepared; 59 percent hadn't met a single one of the three goals for dialysis initiation (having an arteriovenous fistula and adequate levels of hemoglobin and albumin), 30 percent had met one, 9 percent achieved two, and just 2 percent had met all three goals. The more goals achieved, the more likely a patient was to survive. Compared to people who had met none of the goals, people meeting one goal had a 19 percent lower risk of death. Meeting two goals cut death risk by 47 percent, and meeting every goal reduced mortality by 66 percent. The goal that brought the biggest survival benefit was having an arteriovenous graft or fistula in place, which in itself reduced mortality 44 percent. |
| Annual Convention Registration Now Open! |
 Registration for AAKP's 37th Annual Convention is now open! The Convention is held Sept. 2 - 4, in Tampa, FL, at the Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina.
Full Convention packages include 3 days of educational sessions, a souvenir t-shirt, tote bag, tickets to social events and meals and admission to the Exhibit Hall.
For more information about registering for the 2010 Annual Convention, please contact AAKP at (800) 749-AAKP or visit the AAKP website. You may also download the registration brochure online. |
| Converting to In-Center Nocturnal Hemodialysis Improves Lab Markers | | Changing from conventional hemodialysis (CHD) to in-center nocturnal hemodialysis (INHD) is associated with significant improvements in key laboratory markers. The study included patients from 77 outpatient dialysis units who survived on hemodialysis (three times a week, less than six hours per dialysis session) for at least 90 days and changed to thrice-weekly INHD (six or more hours per session) for more than 90 days. After the switch, patients experienced significant increases in albumin, Hb, and calcium levels, and significant decreases in phosphorus levels. Subjects also had a significant increase in dialysis dose. |
| Free Webinar on Vascular Access Management |  A free webinar titled, "Vascular Access Management in the U.S.: Current Challenges and the Potential for Improvement", is being presented by Nephrology News & Issues and NephrOnline.
Optimal vascular access is an ongoing challenge for dialysis care professionals. The one-hour webinar discusses problems created by poor access care and new strategies for improving access management. Topics include: Access Management: Contrasts and Comparisons from Around the World; Taking Care of the Access: How to Improve Staff Training; and The Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative. A question and answer session will be held at the end.
The webinar is being held on Wednesday, May 19, at 3:00 pm EDT. Go to www.nephronline.com/webinar to register. |
| KidneyLink Website Offers Information on Transplants |
 KidneyLink is a program for anyone desiring more information about the kidney transplant process. The goal of KidneyLink is to provide those in need of a kidney transplant, as well as potential kidney donors, the basic information needed to make educated decisions regarding this life-changing event. KidneyLink.org offers easy-to-understand information about the various forms of kidney transplants as well as interactive transplant center maps and statistics, FAQ's on kidney donations, patient stories and tips on how to talk with others about the need for a kidney. KidneyLink was created by and is maintained by the PKD Foundation. | |
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