Table of Contents
Is a fistula a vascular access?
There are 3 kinds of vascular access sites: A fistula (also called an arteriovenous fistula or A-V fistula) is made by joining an artery and a vein under the skin in your arm. When the artery and vein are joined, the pressure inside the vein increases, making the walls of the vein stronger.
What is the preferred vascular access for dialysis?
An AV fistula is the preferred access of all the types of hemodialysis access and is often referred to as the “gold standard.” In 2013, 65\% of all patients in the United States Renal Data system were exclusively using an AV fistula at the end of one year of dialysis.
What is vascular access?
Vascular access is a quick, direct method of enabling the entry or removal of a device or chemicals from an individual’s bloodstream. This procedure allows medical providers to easily access the veins of a patient’s body. Surgeons use a number of different vascular access methods.
What causes blood clots in dialysis fistula?
What is Stenosis? A narrowing of an artery that feeds your AV fistula or graft can slow the flow of blood through your access during treatment. If the blood flow is significantly reduced, it can lead to inadequate dialysis, and is quite likely to cause the access to become totally blocked or clotted.
How does vascular access affect dialysis?
A hemodialysis access, or vascular access, is a way to reach the blood for hemodialysis. The access allows blood to travel through soft tubes to the dialysis machine where it is cleaned as it passes through a special filter, called a dialyzer. An access is placed by a minor surgery.
Who needs vascular access?
Vascular access procedures are performed when patients need:
- Intravenous antibiotic treatment.
- Medications.
- Chemotherapy, or anti-cancer drugs.
- Long-term intravenous (IV) feeding for nutritional support.
- Repeated drawing of blood samples.
How do you get rid of a blood clot in a fistula?
These can include:
- Catheter-directed thrombolysis, which dissolves blood clots that build up in fistulas and grafts by injecting a medicine.
- Catheter-directed mechanical thrombectomy, where the clot is physically removed or mashed up.
How do you get rid of a blood clot in AV fistula?
Thrombectomy of an AV fistula or AV graft A vascular specialist will insert a catheter into your dialysis access guided by X-ray technology. The catheter is used to break up and remove the clot. In some cases, a specialized instrument will be inserted through the catheter to aid in breaking up and removing the clot.
What is meant by vascular access?
Vascular access refers to a rapid, direct method of introducing or removing devices or chemicals from the bloodstream. In hemodialysis, vascular access is used to remove the patient’s blood so that it can be filtered through the dialyzer.
What should never be done on the arm of a patient with a dialysis fistula?
Do not wear tight clothes or jewelry on your access arm. Do not carry anything heavy or do anything that would put pressure on the access. Do not sleep with your head on the arm that has your access. Do not let anyone use a blood pressure cuff on your access arm.