Dialysis organizations team up with CDC to protect patients

Coalition aims to cut infections, expand CDC prevention efforts nationwide

CDC is teaming up with a broad coalition of kidney and dialysis organizations to reduce the number of bloodstream infections in dialysis patients. Each year, about 37,000 people get potentially deadly bloodstream infections related to their dialysis treatment.

Bloodstream infections in dialysis patients could be cut in half if dialysis facilities implement CDC recommendations. For several years, facilities that have followed CDC recommendations have been successful in reducing bloodstream infections in dialysis patients. The new initiative, known as the Making Dialysis Safer for Patients Coalition, aims to significantly expand the use of CDC recommendations and tools to improve dialysis patient safety nationwide.  CDC together with CDC Foundation will host the coalition’s first stakeholder meeting this month.

“Making evidence-based safety steps a routine part of patient care is a proven strategy to keep dialysis patients safe from bloodstream infections,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “We appreciate the new coalition of kidney and dialysis organizations stepping forward to protect the health of dialysis patients.”

The coalition aims to decrease bloodstream infections among dialysis patients by promoting the use of CDC’s Core Interventions for Dialysis Bloodstream Infection Prevention. CDC is providing facilities with a package of resources that includes checklists, audit tools, how-to videos, continuing education training, and patient resources.

Coalition partners have committed to educating their membership and staff, raising awareness among patients and healthcare providers about the importance of infection prevention, helping to implement CDC recommendations in dialysis facilities, and sharing best practices. The coalition is also working with dialysis delivery organizations to accelerate the implementation of CDC recommendations. Initial coalition partners include:

• American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP)
• American Kidney Fund (AKF)
• American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA)
• American Society of Nephrology (ASN)
• American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN)
• Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
• National Association of Nephrology Technicians/Technologists (NANT)
• National Kidney Foundation (NKF)
• National Renal Administrators Association (NRAA)
• Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (NNCC)
• Renal Physicians Association (RPA)
• Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)

“Dialysis patients are particularly vulnerable to infections. We want to get lifesaving tools into the right hands to make a real impact on patients’ lives,” said Dr. Priti Patel, medical director of the Making Dialysis Safer for Patients Coalition. “These dialysis leaders are committed to changing the way care is delivered in U.S. dialysis facilities.”

CDC will host the Making Dialysis Safer for Patients Coalition meeting on September 29th. During this meeting, dialysis organizations will work together and with CDC to identify strategies, barriers, and solutions to implementing recommended bloodstream infection prevention measures.

CDC hopes to expand the coalition to include other kidney and dialysis organizations and providers. To join the Making Dialysis Safer for Patients Coalition, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/dialysis/coalition/index.html.

The Making Dialysis Safer for Patients Coalition is made possible through a partnership with the CDC Foundation and Amgen.

For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/dialysis for resources, tools, and recommendations.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES