Dialysis catheters used to create a pathway to a patient's blood have been associated with a greater infection, cardiovascular problems, and mortality risk than other forms of procedures that access a patient's blood supply in dialysis treatment, a new study claims. See the Dialysis Injury Helpline at dialysisinjuryhelpline.com for comprehensive information pertaining to the serious adverse health consequences GranuFlo and NaturaLyte have been reported to cause.

1. Study Ties Use of Dialysis Catheters to Greater
Infection Risk in Patients
Dialysis catheters used to create a pathway to a
patient's blood have been associated with a
greater infection, cardiovascular problems, and
mortality risk than other forms of procedures
that access a patient's blood supply in dialysis
treatment, a new study claims.
A team of nephrology experts, whose study
results were
published in
the Journal of
the American
Society of
Nephrology
February

2. edition, reportedly looked at the possible link
that ties three hemodialysis access to the risk
for infections, heart problems, and even death
in people with kidney disease or renal failure.
Hemodialysis, the most commonly used type of
dialysis in patients with advanced and
permanent kidney failure, involves the use of a
machine that carries away and returns a
patient’s blood, artificially ridding the body of
waste, salt, water and other impurities,
nephrology experts say. In commencing a
dialysis treatment, an access point to patient's
blood must be created using arteriovenous
fistula – an access made by surgically
connecting a vein to a nearby artery, usually in
the arm, arteriovenous graft -- an artificial tube
surgically placed between an artery and a vein

3. in either the arm or the leg, or a central venous
catheter – a tube made of soft plastic usually
placed in a large vein in the chest or neck.
After conducting a retrospective study of 67
early researches of more than 580,000 patients
on hemodialysis, a higher mortality risk of 53
percent, increased major heart problems risk of
38 percent, and more than double the risk for
serious infections have been reportedly found
in study participants, according to the research
team. Grafts also held patients at a higher
mortality risk of 18 percent, and risk for serious
infections by 36 percent than those with
fistulas.
While more studies may be needed to further
assess the safety of these three hemodialysis

4. vascular access procedures, the group of
experts concluded the study suggesting that
catheters have the highest risks for serious
infections, heart problems, and deaths, while
fistulas yield the least risk, assuming that the
participants were of similar medical state. On
the other hand, the group also noted that the
participants were not of similar health, most of
those who were on catheters were in a more
serious state than patients using fistulas.
In addition, patients undergoing hemodialysis
may also stand at risk of unwanted heart
problems that may potentially arise from the
administration of certain dialysis drug solutions
used along with a dialysis machine and other
medications, according to online news reports.
Such medications, including GranuFlo, have

5. been reportedly linked to a string of adverse
effects, including cardiac arrest and even death
in large number of patients, reportedly leading
to GranuFlo lawsuits in the United States. See
the Dialysis Injury Helpline at
dialysisinjuryhelpline.com for comprehensive
information pertaining to the serious adverse
health consequences GranuFlo and NaturaLyte
have been reported to cause.

6. Sources:
*mayoclinic.com/health/hemodialysis/MY0028
1
*nephinc.com/DialysisAccessProgramWebBroc
hure.pdf
*nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstruct
ions/000157.htm
*kidney.org/atoz/content/hemoaccess.cfm
*kidney.org/atoz/pdf/va.pdf
*webmd.com/news/20130221/dialysis-
catheters-tied-to-higher-risk-for-infection-
death-study-finds

7. Sources:
*mayoclinic.com/health/hemodialysis/MY0028
1
*nephinc.com/DialysisAccessProgramWebBroc
hure.pdf
*nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstruct
ions/000157.htm
*kidney.org/atoz/content/hemoaccess.cfm
*kidney.org/atoz/pdf/va.pdf
*webmd.com/news/20130221/dialysis-
catheters-tied-to-higher-risk-for-infection-
death-study-finds