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Resources for handling kidney patients during a disaster

Emergency Management Alert, October 23, 2007

Is your hospital adequately prepared to handle the needs of kidney patients during a disaster? In many hospitals, the answer is no, said researchers quoted in a recent issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. In "Kidney Patient Care in Disasters: Emergency Planning for Patients and Dialysis Facilities," author J.B. Kopp and colleagues recall the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which resulted in the closure of 94 Gulf Coast dialysis facilities for at least one week and difficulties involving evacuation of dialysis patients. "Existing emergency response plans were inadequate in providing continuity of care for kidney patients," they said.

At least one organization has set up a Web site to deal with this problem.

The goals of the Kidney Community Emergency Response Coalition are to test and refine the national response strategy, raise public awareness of the critical needs of individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), promote and disseminate tools and resources for CKD, and plan for a flu pandemic. In addition to recommendations for patients and a list of dialysis facilities, there's a listserv. KCER's preparedness link is here.

The FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health, which has a main resource page with a link offering advice for reopening hemodialysis clinics after restoration of power and water. It offers information specifically relating to water treatment systems, dialysis machines, filters (dialyzers) and tubing, dialysate and dialysate mixing systems, home hemodialysis.

Source: Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., Jul 2007; 2: 825 - 838

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