HOME HEMODIALYSIS
In foreign countries, patient and their relatives are taught to do hemodialysis at home usually at night time before sleeping. This is done anywhere from 3 to 7nights a week. One has to arrange for a hemodialysis machine, water supply unit, disposable, medicines, and some chemicals. A separate room is also required. The patients remain in touch with their dialysis centre in Delhi by telemetry or otherwise.
CAPD
(Continuous Ambulatory peritoneal dialysis)
More common is the home CAPD in India.
A small plastic catheter is inserted in the patients’ abdomen by a simple surgery. The patients with his attendants are taught how to instill dialysis fluid in his abdomen through this catheter and then drain the used fluid out four hours later. This process has to be done thrice a day with all due precautions.
The advantage of this therapy is that
- It can be done in the home environment: so time, money and energy spent in traveling to hospital thrice a week, for hemodialysis, is avoided.
- There are fewer requirements for blood transfusion
- Generally, less restriction is placed on food and fluid intake
The patient can pursue a normal lifestyle.