Needle Dislodgement: a Risk for Dialysis Patients

820 Words4 Pages
Needle Dislodgement: A Risk for Dialysis Patients Venous needle dislodgement in patients on hemodialysis was authored by Billie Axley, Joan Speranza-Reid, and Helen Williams. This article was published in 2012 in the journal Nephrology Nursing Journal. According to Axley, Speranza-Reid, and Williams (2012), venous needle dislodgment is a serious complication associated with hemodialysis that might result in serious or fatal consequences. “Venous needle dislodgement happens when the venous fistula needle becomes dislocated from the vascular access resulting in blood loss.” (Axley, Speranza-Reid, & Williams, 2012, para.1). Also, according to Robin Fields, (2010), the incidence of venous needle dislodgement is one of the most dreadful and yet most preventable problems encountered by patients receiving hemodialysis in the industrialized world. The author is a Clinical Manager of a 16-chair outpatient hemodialysis clinic. He has noted that on a three month review of QRR submitted report from January 2012 to December 2012; his clinic has reported an average of 3 needle infiltrations each month. These needle infiltrations predispose patients to venous needle dislodgement. The average age of the general population at the author’s clinic is 60 and above. All of them have end-stage renal disease and a majority suffers from multiple underlying medical conditions. The majority of the patient’s receive an average of 3 hours of treatment per visit. In a root cause analysis study done at VA dialysis centers in 2008 it was observed that a high percentage of patients who experienced venous needle dislodgement were either confused, restless, agitated, cognitively impaired, and suffered from dementia. (Axley, Speranza-Reid, Williams 2012). Another possible reason that may lead to needle dislodgment is when patient refuse to have their access and bloodlines left uncovered

More about Needle Dislodgement: a Risk for Dialysis Patients

Open Document