Dialysis system in US?

[pineau]

Dear all,

Can someone explain me how does the amercian dialysis system work?

Are dialysis provided by private companies or public?

Thanks for your answers

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Private, investor-owned companies own the vast majority of the outpatient dialysis centers in the US. Sometimes you will find a dialysis unit inside a publicly-owned hospital. However, most hemodialysis treatments are performed at centers owned by corporate shareholders.

[pineau]

I found a list of some :

-Davita

-Fresnius

-Dialysis corporation of america

-DCI

-KRU

-Liberty

-FMC

-Renal care group

are they the main players? Do you have other names in mind?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Davita and Fresenius are the big players.

[pineau]

Do you know if these groups use their own prefilled syringe of saline flush solution or they use famous brand like excelsior, covidien, hospira...?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

No prefilled syringes, the RNs and techs fill the syringes themselves.

[pineau]

What is RNs?

[pineau]

Are you saying that dialysis centers in the US do not use prefilled syringes? Why? Will it chnage in the future?

What tye of containers they use to fill syringes (vials or bags), which one is the more widespread?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

RN - registered nurse. No, I would highly doubt if dialysis will ever use prefilled syringes as they are more expensive than having staff fill them. The staff fills them from 25ml bottles.

[GeauxNursing]

We fill syringes from the liter bag of normal saline.