EDTNA/ERCA journal (English ed.)
-
There are over 7,000 people on dialysis in Australia and this is predicted to increase due to the ageing population and the high incidence of diabetes mellitus. Discontinuation of dialysis is the second most frequent cause of death in dialysis patients in Australia. Risk factors for the discontinuation of dialysis include: co-morbidities (especially diabetes mellitus) and being older. ⋯ The fear of dying, pain, suffering, and abandonment that a patient and/or their family may perceive as being associated with death may create barriers to decisions to discontinue with dialysis treatments. Therefore health care personnel should provide information with honesty to allow patients to predict their quality of life and death. Support for the patient and family during the dying period should be multi-disciplinary, with clear and timely communication between all members of the team.
-
Following an earthquake, an International stream of help is launched. Teams of nephrologists, renal nurses and technicians from many European countries are ready as volunteers to come into action when needed. Basic help is necessary but what is the benefit of nephrologists and renal nurses, as the Renal Disaster Relief Task Force comes into action? The scouting team assesses the situation in the disaster area. ⋯ The ability to accommodate dialysis treatment is investigated, in collaboration with local nephrologists. Belgian, French, Irish and Turkish colleagues who made up two teams, with Médecins sans Frontières (MsF) left for Pakistan following the devastating earthquake in October 2005. This is a report from one of the volunteers from the first team explaining the individual contribution that his mission made to the disaster.