Hemodialysis safety: Evaluation of clinical practice

Abstract

Hemodialysis (HD) safety has become a clinical priority; therefore, the use of checklists for making the dialysis session safe is now widely adopted. The aim of our study was to assess different shortcomings in the clinical practice of nurses working in different Moroccan dialysis centers and to discuss the interest of using such checklists. This cross-sectional study was performed in 13 chronic HD centers. Clinical practice of nurses was evaluated through checklists used in European outpatient dialysis units. We noted several deficiencies mainly related to the clinical evaluation of dialysis patients and to aspects related to hygiene and protection measures against contamination. Optimal safety of dialysis sessions requires the use of simple and reproducible means that improve clinical skills of the health staff.