A tool for assessing inadequate dialysis

Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is thought to be a useful marker of the concentration of other solutes that underly the manifestation of uremia. By monitoring quality assurance parameters, 8 out of 57 dialysis patients were found during monthly blood work exams to have BUN greater than 100 mg/dl. An "Inadequate Dialysis Checklist" was designed for hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis and used to assess all eight patients' treatments. The dialysis was corrected or integrally modified. As a result, the number of patients with BUN greater than 100 mg/dl decreased. These checklists can be useful for case managers to assess and evaluate dialysis variables.