Abstract
Treatment of acute kidney injury (AKI) in older patients is difficult and time-consuming. Furthermore, patients experience a serious problem in terms of decline in activities of daily living (ADL) after treatment. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of the treatment of AKI using a tunneled cuffed catheter (TCC) in older patients while administering blood purification therapy for AKI. This study included six patients (mean age: 83.7 ± 3.7 years, four males and two females) who received treatment with TCC during blood purification therapy for AKI between January 2018 and June 2020. The vascular access for initiating blood purification therapy involved a direct puncture, non-cuffed catheter, and TCC in one, four, and one of the six patients, respectively. However, five non-TCC patients were also shifted to treatment using TCC. Finally, all patients were on ambulatory maintenance hemodialysis while receiving treatment with TCC. Because of its structural characteristics, TCC presents high safety with few restrictions and can be managed on an outpatient basis. Treatment with TCC for AKI in older patients could shorten the hospitalization duration, prevent deterioration of ADLs, and facilitate outpatient maintenance hemodialysis.
