Maintenance of silastic-teflon shunts for intermittent haemodialysis

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Abstract
The occurrence of infection in the tissues surrounding external arteriovenous shunts was studied and die important relationship of pyogenic infection to clotting was confirmed. The local application of fusidic add tulle and lanolin greatly reduced the occurrence of both infection and clotting and the need for cannula replacement. Urokinase used for declotting shunts when standard procedures had failed, restored blood flow whether dotting was related to infection or to local vascular factors. This treatment is not advised when clotting is associated with a local abscess, as it may make cannula replacement necessary. Severe local vascular factors, such as metastatic calcification, Raynaud's phenomenon, and venous stenosis, may lead to poor blood flow, so that despite clot lysis elective cannula replacement or the creation of a subcutaneous arteriovenous fistula is required.