GIRONA

Nurse in charge: Isabel Pérez

Entity/ Agency in charge: Fundació Salut Empordà

Description

The persons in a hemodialysis program need a vascular access in order to undergo this treatment adequately.

The arteriovenous fistula is the vascular access with a highest survival rate and less complications in relation to other accesses.

In order to improve the quality of life of these people, the care and preservation of a good vascular access is essential.

The echography is a tool that allows for a daily monitoring of the vascular access in order to assess its development and well-functioning, and detect possible complications so as to be able to take action if need be.

One of the tasks of nurses in general and nephrological nurses is the channeling of venous vessels that allow for the effective medical treatment of the patient.

In difficult situations, the echography helps us to locate the vessel and measure its depth and diameter.

In our unit, we use the ultrasound machine as an ordinary tool that allows us to assess the maturation and development of the vascular access and, in the same way, it helps us during the punctures of difficult access, locating the ideal puncture location and directing the needle in the moment of the channeling, in order to avoid unsuccessful punctures and their possible complications.

When a person begins the treatment, the ultrasound machine allows us to assess the access and plan the type of puncture technique, be it incremental or buttonhole.