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Body Access for Dialysis

A body access is the place on the body that connects to dialysis equipment. The access allows waste to be removed from the blood.

There are different types of body access for dialysis:

  • Arteriovenous (AV) fistula
  • Arteriovenous (AV) graft 
  • Central venous catheter
  • Peritoneal dialysis catheter

Purpose

We aim to make sure that all patients receiving dialysis have as few complications as possible. We do this by facilitating safe body access that is appropriate for the individual.

Major Initiatives

Quality Improvement Collaborative

This provincial network of dialysis nurses meets monthly to share lessons learned, and address challenges and opportunities for improving vascular access and home dialysis. One of the group’s initiatives focuses on reducing access-related infections, including lowering catheter-related bacteremia (CRB) rates and peritonitis rates.

Centres of Practice for Body Access Services

This pilot project aims to provide patients with timely access to high-quality body access procedures by facilitating their referral to one of 8 hospitals for access-related services.