title: Continuous quality improvement: improving hemodialysis catheter patency using urokinase.
abstract: Opportunities for improvements in patient outcomes through applied continuous quality improvement (CQI) programs are endless and exciting. Improving vascular access outcomes has been a long-standing clinical problem for hemodialysis patients and the nephrology team. During the past few years there has been a dramatic increase in the use of dialysis catheters as permanent accesses for hemodialysis patients. All hemodialysis with dialysis catheters are at risk for catheter occlusion. An innovative, 2-year CQI program was developed, implemented, and designed to improve dialysis catheter patency rates with the use of urokinase. The CQI program resulted in a number of clinical outcomes that were beneficial to the patients and dialysis staff, and were cost-effective to the program.
authors.affiliation: Hemodialysis unit, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Northsea
mesh_terms: D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000451:nursing*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000191:economics; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017749:Total Quality Management; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000191:economics
chemical_list: D010960:Plasminogen Activators; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator