[Self dialysis: a new method of treatment for end-stage renal disease]

Self-hemodialysis in a limited-care facility could be a good alternative for patients who are reluctant to home dialysis for several reasons. Through reduction of nursing personnel and elimination of physician attention at each dialysis, self-hemodialysis in a limited-care facility, where the patient dialyses himself and cleans his own machine without assistance, has reduced the cost to about one-half of center cost. From March 1980 to December 1982, out of 65 dialysed patients from Beauce and Perche Area, 33 patients were treated in the Hemodialysis Unit-Chartres Hospital (50.8%), only 5 were on home dialysis (7.6%), 15 were on CAPD (23.1%) and 12 were on self-hemodialysis in a limited-care facility (18.5%). Self-hemodialysis is a practical addition to various modalities treating end-stage renal disease and, in our experience, full compliance to the dialysis regimen was achieved in all patients.