Sheraton Music City to Host 2008 Network 8 Annual Council Meeting and Tennessee Renal Symposium
We are pleased to announce that Network 8, Inc. and National Kidney Foundation of Middle Tennessee will be jointly sponsoring the 2008 Network 8 Annual Council Meeting and Tennessee Renal Symposium. The meeting will be held October 15-17, 2008 at Sheraton Music City in Nashville, Tennessee. (Link opens in a new browser.)
The theme as well as speakers and topics will be announced at a later date, so keep visiting our website for the latest information. Also, be on the lookout for mailings within the coming months including brochures and registration information. Mark your calendars, and we hope to see you there!
New ESRD Regulations
The new ESRD Regulations were published April 15, 2008 and go into effect October 14, 2008. Compliance with rules regarding separate room for HBsAg+, Life Safety Code, certification for technicians, and furnishing data for ESRD program administration are required by later dates, as noted. Click here to view the new ESRD Regulations. (366 KB PDF file opens in a new browser)
National Healthcare Decisions Day -- April 16
The Kidney End-of-Life Coalition, along with other national, state and community organizations, are leading a coordinated effort to highlight the importance of advance healthcare decision-making, culminating in the formal designation of April 16, 2008 as the inaugural National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD).
NHDD organizers are asking interested organizations and individuals throughout the country to help raise awareness about the importance of advance care planning on this special day—and throughout the year. To help realize this goal, they have created a Website with information and tools for the public to talk about future healthcare decisions and execute written advance directives (healthcare power of attorney and living wills) in accordance with their applicable state laws.
The new Website ( nationalhealthcaredecisionsday.org ) also includes tips on how advocates can raise awareness in their communities. Additionally, the site offers resources for free or reduced cost state-specific advance directives for all 50 states that meet the legal requirements for each state.
An official poster is attached for display in your unit.
For more details, visit nationalhealthcaredecisionsday.org , email nhdd@nhpco.org , or call 800/658-8898.
New MedWatch Link
Due to the numerous blast faxes that have been sent regarding the recent Heparin recall, we have added a direct link to the FDA MedWatch website so that users will have access to the most current information available, as soon as it is posted. This link, located on the left side of the page under “Quality Improvement” section, has information on FDA activities, including recalls and warnings for both medicines and medical devices. Please contact us if you have any questions or need assistance navigating this site.
Home Dialysis Assessment Tool
The Medical Education Institute, Inc. in Madison Wisconsin has developed a tool known as MATCH-D to help nephrologists and dialysis staff identify and assess candidates for home dialysis therapies (PD and HHD). Three categories describe patients that are excellent candidates, those who may need to have a barrier addressed first, and those who may require an alternate modality choice. Click here to access the MATCH-D tool.
Vascular Access Patient/Staff Education Toolkit
In an effort to meet educational needs of patients and staff, Network 8, Inc., has developed a vascular access toolkit entitled "Vascular Access: Before, During & After." Click here to view the toolkit contents.
New and Improved Fistula First Website
The Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative Coalition has launched the new and improved Fistula First website. A new addition to the site is the patient section. Click here to view the new website filled with patient and professional resources to assist you with vascular access planning.
CDC opens enrollment for Healthcare Safety Network
The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) is now open to all healthcare facilities nationwide that would like to join. NHSN is a secure, internet-based surveillance system that integrates former CDC surveillance systems, including the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System (NNIS), National Surveillance System for Heathcare Workers (NaSH), and the Dialysis Surveillance Network (DSN).
NHSN enables healthcare facilities to collect and use data about healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), adherence to clinical practices known to prevent HAIs, and other adverse events. One of the enhanced features of NHSN is the capacity for healthcare facilities to share data with other facilities within a healthcare system and/or public health agencies in a timely manner.
For more information about NHSN, please see: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/nhsn.html. (Link opens in new browser.)
For more information on how to enroll in NHSN, including the training requirements, please see: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/nhsn_howToEnroll.html. (Link opens in new browser.)
Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents (ESA) information
To view the FDA Advisory Panel decision regarding ESA dose restriction issued 9/12/2007, click here. (Link opens in new browser.)
To view the full version in HTML of the FDA Alert Issued 3/9/2007, click here. (Link opens in new browser.)
To view the full version in HTML of special information for kidney patients developed by the NKF, click here. (Link opens in a new browser.)
To view the full version in HTML of the Renal Physicians Association guidance document, click here. (Link opens in a new browser.)
NKF Gives Recommendations to the U.S. Congress on Anemia Treatment
Click on the following link to view the article. (Link will open in a new browser.) http://www.kidney.org/news/newsroom/newsitem.cfm?id=399
CDC reports dialysis patients face 100-fold increased risk for MRSA infections
Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of bloodstream and other invasive infections in the United States. S. aureus has become increasingly resistant to first-line antimicrobial agents in health-care settings. Dialysis patients are especially vulnerable to infections, frequently those caused by antimicrobial-resistant organisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). To assess the incidence of invasive MRSA infection among dialysis patients in the United States during 2005, surveillance data were analyzed from the Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs) system. This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which estimated that, in 2005, the incidence of invasive MRSA infection among dialysis patients was 45.2 cases per 1,000 population. Persons receiving dialysis are at high risk for infection with invasive MRSA compared with the general population, in which rates of invasive MRSA have ranged from 0.2 to 0.4 infections per 1,000 population. The findings in this report underscore the need for continued surveillance and infection-control strategies aimed at reducing infection rates and preventing additional antimicrobial resistance among persons receiving dialysis. Read full report. (Link opens in a new browser.)
This site was last reviewed and updated on 4/18/2008.