Weather creates added risk for dialysis patients

Weather creates added risk for dialysis patients

By KIM ARCHER Tulsa World Staff Writer
1/18/2007

Careful planning is helping people get the treatments they need.
Icy weather in the Tulsa area has posed significant problems for people who receive kidney dialysis to stay alive.

"It's been an interesting five days. We've had significant problems with transportation, and we depend on state services such as SoonerRide and others," said Janet Slocum, regional director for DaVita Dialysis Centers.

DaVita is a national company that has seven centers in the Tulsa area and rural centers in Muskogee, Pryor and Tahlequah.

Dialysis is a life-saving treatment that cleanses the patient's blood of toxins, a job that healthy kidneys normally do.

Most patients with chronic kidney disease get dialysis three times each week for four hours each treatment, Slocum said.

"It's been a challenge. Some people have lived so far out. And some of our staff are having problems getting in," she said.

Patients typically are on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule or a Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday arrangement, Slocum said.

Tulsa-area DaVita staff members prepared for the ice storm, staying late Friday to work in Saturday's patients and coming in Monday to work on Tuesday patients, she said.

"We tried to get as many patients in early as we could," Slocum said.

In addition, emergency diet information was passed on to patients to help them avoid too much fluid or potassium intake, she said.

"That was more of a precautionary measure," Slocum said.

Dialysis patients really should not miss a dialysis session, but the diet at least would lessen the impact of missing a treatment in an emergency, she said.

St. John Medical Center's dialysis program also prepared its dialysis patients by distributing information about the three-day emergency diet in December.

"We try to prepare our patients before the winter weather hits," said Kathy Mears, director of dialysis at St. John Medical Center.

She said the diet was developed by the federal government as a guideline to keep patients from falling ill during emergency situations.

"It just instructs patients on cutting down on fluids and avoid high levels of phosphorus or potassium," Mears said.

St. John patients experienced transportation delays as expected during the inclement weather, she said.

Mears said patients who called to cancel their dialysis were told to call 911 if they start feeling ill.

"And we might start dialysis earlier to get patients in and out before the weather gets worse. We try to be as flexible as possible," Mears said.

Area dialysis centers are beginning preparations for the next round of winter precipitation expected to hit the area.

"We're hoping this won't be as bad as the storm we just saw," said DaVita's Slocum.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kim Archer 581-8315
kim.archer@tulsaworld.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emergency kit for kidney patients
Basic emergency kit for kidney disease patients:

Emergency phone numbers for doctors and dialysis center as well as another nearby dialysis center.

At least three days' worth of medication as well as a list of medicines and dosage amounts.

If you are on peritoneal dialysis, a week's worth of dialysate and any supplies to help you do your exchange, such as a waterless hand cleaner.

If you are a diabetic, a week's worth of supplies including syringes, insulin, alcohol wipes and glucose monitoring strips.

Food for the three-day emergency diet and a copy of the diet. Food items needed for three-day diet: (This very strict plan is needed to control the buildup of toxins such as potassium, phosphorus, urea and fluids that can be life-threatening if dialysis treatments are missed due to emergency.)

Evaporated milk.

Bottled water.

Powdered fruit-flavored drink.

Soft drinks (no dark cola due to high phosphorus).

Cereal (no Raisin Bran).

Sugar and artificial sweetener.

Low-potassium fruit bowls.

Cans of unsalted tuna, salmon, chicken or turkey.

Peanut butter.

Grape jelly.

Honey.

Mayonnaise.

White bread.

Vanilla wafers or graham crackers.

Hard candy.

Marshmallows.

The three-day diet consists of menus using the listed ingredients for three days' worth of meals.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source: National Kidney Foundation and DaVita Dialysis Centers

URL: http://www.tulsaworld.com/NewsStory.asp?ID=070118_Ne_A8_Weath11431