Why we call Australia OZ? / Kidney disease and apperance

[BigSky]

There are a few different machines on the market.

One of the functions on the crit-line machines is the ability to measure blood flow through the fistula. They measured ours several times to establish a base line of blood flow through the fistula.  If problems arise such as Kt/V dropping or problem with sticks they can use the machine to again measure blood flow to see where it compares to the previous measurements.  If there is a drop they usually recommend a fistula gram.  Mine usually maxes out the machine.  It usually say greater than 2000 or 3000.  Cannot remember which right now. ??

[angieskidney]

I am not clear what crit-line  is but have seen it mentioned before.  I don't know if my machine does that but they put special lines on that day where it looked like a small disk that when the machine beeped and displayed a message that told them the first test was done they had to turn the disk to reverse my lines and it did some 2nd test. I don't know what that was. They tell us nothing!

I don't know what Kt/V stands for but that is basically clearance right? 

Sorry if these are dumb questions..

[BigSky]

The machine may not be a crit-line but it is doing the same thing.

On days they are switching the lines they are measuring the blood flow through your fistula.  I am not sure what the least recommended flow rate is but I can ask at the unit next time.  Kt/V is another way to adequacy of dialysis. 


    *  K stands for the dialyzer clearance, expressed in milliliters per minute (mL/min)


    * t stands for time


    * Kt, the top part of the fraction, is clearance multiplied by time, representing the volume of fluid completely cleared of urea during a single treatment


    * V, the bottom part of the fraction, is the volume of water a patient’s body contains

[angieskidney]

Thank you BigSky! That is very informative!! Thank you! 

[Jaybird]

I know this is an older post, but I just read it.

My fistula is about 3 years old and I've been using it for about a year now. I was told that it will get bigger, but since I started dialysis I have done it at home and have run at a lower speed than recommended by my clinic. The doc said I can run at whatever speed I want as long as I get the fluid off, it just takes longer. The clinic doesn't like it though. However, my fistula just looks like I workout with one arm more than the other and I have two little dots where I do the button hole. The slower speed is keeping my fistula from expanding faster. Also, while I workout or do anything strenuous with my fistula arm, I put sweatbands on it, one over each hole. My fistula is located on my left forearm.

Hope this helps,
Jaybird

[Amanda From OZ]

jaybird what pump speed do you run at?

[Jaybird]

I try to run at 300-350.

I run at 300 when I have the time to go slow, if I want to speed up I go at 350. I'd go slower if I could, but I start getting alarms at less than 300, and everyone hates the alarms! I've went as high as 420 before, but I had to take my son to an appointment that day. My access is big enough to go at the max, but the more pressure you put on your access the bigger it will get over time (Much bigger than it needs to get).

Hope this helps.

Here's a recent photo of my access arm, its my left arm. Its not the best shot, but all i could find of my arm. You can hardly tell I have a fistula in it, Thats the way I like it!

Jaybird

[thegrammalady]

They tell us nothing!

Sorry if these are dumb questions..

there is no such thing as a dumb question! if you don't know, ASK!!! and keep asking till you get an answer. if they don't like questions, too dam bad! this is your life and you have a right. the squeaky wheel gets the grease. keep squeaking!!!

[Amanda From OZ]

Adam, i never run higher than 300...  my fistula is not that big either, your arm looks great you can't even notice you have one.

Here is my fistula.

[Wattle]

Wow Amanda. You can't even tell. I never knew fistulas could stay that small. If you were in clinic would they make you run at a faster speed? Does the slow speed help keep the fistula size down or is it just a luck thing?   

[Amanda From OZ]

Well if i turned my arm around you could probably see  a little bulge, but its not that bad.

I think there might be a few reasons why it has not grown much..  firstly in the first 2 years my fistula didn't work very well so i couldn't do a very h high pump speed, and now i choose not to go any higher because i don't want to put pressure on my veins.. as they are "crap". And because of the position of the fistula; it seems to be getting a lot bigger but growing in-wards instead of protruding out of the skin.

Is your fistula large? and what pump speed do you run at wattle?

[Wattle]

I am on PD Amanda. So I don't have a fistula. But, I have just spent four days in hospital and know that PD may not last me until a transplant comes along. Haemo may not be that far away, so I want to know my options ahead of time. I was hoping to do PD until a transplant but I have now been told it could stretch out to a 7 year wait. I am unsure if PD will take me that far.

[Amanda From OZ]

Silly me! sorry i forgot..! not all fistulas get big.. so if the unfortunate happens and pd no longer works for you.  Then trust me hemo is not bad at all... i would prefer the fistula than the tube in my belly

[Wattle]

I don't want to be misunderstood...I am NOT concerned about having a fistula or the look of it. I just want to be educated on the care of my veins and fistula. The reasons for running at a lower pump speed etc.  O.k the sticking freaks me out a little (maybe alot) but I will get over that 

[charee]

this is my fistula only been used for 10 weeks  my pump speed is 325.