What Is Nocturnal Home Hemodialysis?
It is a form of hemodialysis that can be done at home by either the patient, mate or other family member. It is done at night, while the patient is asleep. It is done six or seven nights a week. The length of the dialysis varies. It can last as long as the patient wants to sleep, anywhere from five to 12 hours, with eight hours being the average. The dialysis machine can be monitored by trained hospital staff by telephone modem or Internet. The machine will occasionally alert patients to any problems. (Most problems are minor and usually require pressing a “reset” button.) However, if the patient does not respond within a reasonable period, the hospital monitor will contact them by phone.
