Chronic Kidney Disease and Hemodialysis

Chronic kidney disease, also called chronic kidney failure, describes the gradual loss of kidney function. Kidneys filter waste and excess fluids from the blood, which are then excreted in the urine. When chronic kidney disease reaches an advanced stage, dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes, and wastes can be stuck, stored, and built up in the body.

One treatment for kidney failure is called hemodialysis. During this treatment, the blood travels through tubes from the body into the dialysis machine. While the blood is in the machine, it goes through a filter called a dialyzer, which removes harmful wastes and extra fluids. Once it has been cleaned, the blood travels through tubes from the dialysis machine back into the body. Simply put, a hemodialyzer is an artificial kidney that performs the same work that healthy kidneys usually do.

Before starting hemodialysis, vascular access is needed. Two needles have to be inserted into this area in order to allow blood to flood in and out. Generally, there are two types of vascular access:

The first is Arteriovenous Fistula (AVF): It is basically when the surgeon connects an artery to a vein, the vein grows wider and thicker, making it easier to place the needles for dialysis. The AV fistula also has a large diameter that allows your blood to flow out of and back into your body quickly. The goal is to allow high blood flow so that the largest amount of blood can pass through the dialyzer.

The second is a venous catheter. It’s basically a tube that’s inserted into a vein in the neck, chest, or leg and hangs outside the body from an opening in the skin.

Dialysis patient care technicians usually struggle to find the AV Fistula vein or a proper vein for catheter placement. As a result, they need to poke, prod, and dig around to find a vein, knowing that a bad stick could lead to an infiltration causing severe pain, bruising, and even damage the AV Fistula (Lifeline).

Even the most experienced Patient Care Technicians can have difficulty accessing AV Fistula veins safely and quickly the first time, especially when the process is undermined by some medical conditions that make the patient’s veins hard to detect. Hence, improving First-Stick attempts should be a major goal for dialysis patient care technicians.

An Infrared handheld portable vein finder can spot the veins under a patient’s skin and project a map onto the surface. This may seem like a scene out of a Sci-Fi thriller, but this technology is highly recommended for most procedures that require venous access and widely used in today’s modern hospitals.

Using the near-infrared technology, The SIFVEIN-4.2 is able to visualize veins at a depth of 12 mm and to guide caregivers’ needles into the right spot with the real-time mapping of veins that are displayed on the patient’s skin. Rapid and easy vein finding without the irritating prodding will make hemodialysis less painful and reduce patient anxiety associated with treatments. SIFVEIN-4.2 will guarantee safety and comfort for patients as well as adequate guidance for nursing staff.

Disclaimer: Although the information we provide is used by different doctors and medical staff to perform their procedures and clinical applications, the information contained in this article is for consideration only. SIFVEINFINDER is not responsible neither for the misuse of the device nor for the wrong or random generalizability of the device in all clinical applications or procedures mentioned in our articles. Users must have the proper training and skills to perform the procedure with each vein finder device.

The products mentioned in this article are only for sale to medical staff (doctors, nurses, certified practitioners, etc.) or to private users assisted by or under the supervision of a medical professional.