Nocturnal Dialysis May Benefit Certain Patients.

The Denver Post  (4/17, Booth) reported that nocturnal dialysis performed either at home or at a dialysis clinic may not just benefit patients by improving their quality of life, but also may save money and help distribute patient workload for clinic staff. For motivated patients, nocturnal at-home dialysis may allow them to hold a daytime job, pursue a degree, and live a more normal life. The trade-off, however, is that patients need ready access to medical personnel should advice be needed in the middle of the night. In addition, the patients and their caregivers must be fully trained on what to do. Finally, patients themselves must be disciplined enough to follow a set routine regularly.