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. 2019 Aug;13(4):782-790.
doi: 10.1017/dmp.2018.142. Epub 2019 May 6.

Renal Failure Patients in Disasters

Kenneth D Lempert  1 , Jeffrey B Kopp  2
Affiliations

Renal Failure Patients in Disasters

Kenneth D Lempert et al. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2019 Aug.

Abstract

Disasters occur regularly, and frequently large numbers of patients treated with maintenance dialysis or with the recent onset of acute kidney injury are put at risk owing to the lack of access to dialysis care precipitating also a kidney failure disaster. The absence of necessary dialysis treatments can result in excessive emergency department visits, hospitalizations, morbidity, or an early death. Those with kidney failure are often evaluated in disaster medical locations or hospitals without nephrologists in attendance. Here we offer guidance for medical personnel evaluating such patients so that dialysis-dependent individuals can be properly assessed and managed with the need for urgent dialysis recognized. A disaster dialysis triage system is proposed. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:782-790).

Keywords: ESRD; dialysis; disaster; kidney; triage.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Kidney Failure in Disasters. Individuals who require dialysis may have acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease.Ðhe majority is likely composed of those with end stage renal disease already enrolled in maintenance dialysisÐrograms unless there are numerous crush injuries.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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