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N C Armistead

Publications and source records attributed to N C Armistead.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Within-center correlation in dialysis adequacy.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients with end stage renal disease treated with hemodialysis were correlated in dialysis adequacy within facilities. This was a retrospective analysis of dialysis adequacy based on urea reduction ratio (URR) values from 6969 patients dialyzed at 154 facilities. The within-center correlation was quantified using the between-center variation and the parameter p that was derived using ANOVA tables and mixed effects models. The variation in center means for URR was wider than expected for independent observations (52.9-76.1 versus 60.7-73.8, respectively). Furthermore, there was a significant within-center correlation in URR values across all facilities (p = 0.136, P<0.0001), which persisted after adjusting for patient specific covariates, facility characteristics, and state. In conclusion, there was a substantial within-center correlation in dialysis adequacy that reflected important center effects on the outcome of ESRD patients.

Blood Urea Nitrogen↗
PubMed1999

Significance of serum creatinine values in new end-stage renal disease patients.

The appropriate use of serum creatinine level as a surrogate for time in the course of renal failure when dialysis commences requires it to be a significant predictor of mortality in incident patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This study evaluated factors that account for variations in creatinine level before the initiation of dialysis and whether incident creatinine level after controlling for these factors was a risk factor for mortality. This is a retrospective cohort study of patients from Maryland and Virginia who initiated dialysis between April 1, 1995, and December 31, 1996, with data ascertained from the Health Care Financing Administration Form 2728. Multivariate models were used to evaluate both the factors that predict incident serum creatinine level and the association between creatinine level and mortality. There were 5, 388 patients followed up for an average of 23.6 +/- 0.2 months. Mean creatinine level was 9.2 +/- 0.1 mg/dL, with case-mix factors most predictive of serum creatinine level and accounting for 9% of its variance. Hematocrit and blood urea nitrogen levels as additional surrogates for progression of renal disease accounted for 7.4% of the variance, whereas the nutritional parameters, body mass index, and albumin level only explained an additional 1% of the total variance in creatinine level. Creatinine level was inversely correlated with mortality risk, and this relationship was sustained both with transformation into an estimated glomerular filtration rate and multivariate adjustment for confounders (relative risk = 0. 96; P < 0.0001). Creatinine values from an incident ESRD population have a weak relationship with the timing of dialysis initiation but represent a strong measure of health status.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Working with noncompliant and abusive dialysis patients: practical strategies based on ethics and the law.

The patient population in dialysis facilities today reflects common societal problems such as human immunodeficiency virus infection, illicit drug use, distrust of and disrespect for authority, and a propensity toward violence. An increase in calls from dialysis units for guidance in dealing with noncompliant and abusive patients prompted ESRD Network 5 to examine this problem and develop an educational program, "Working with Noncompliant and Abusive Patients." This article provides an overview of the ESRD Network 5 study of the ethical, legal, psychosocial, and administrative aspects of this problem, presents practical strategies for working with such patients, and demonstrates the application of these strategies in three cases. It emphasizes the importance for dialysis units of four elements in the successful treatment of such patients: instruction for all levels of dialysis staff; a team approach; written policies; and patient education at the time of admission about these policies, including the consequences of verbal and physical abuse and the circumstances under which patients will be discharged from the dialysis unit.

Aggression↗