COMMUNITY-BASED LYTIC DWELL PROTOCOL FOR TUNNELLED HAEMODIALYSIS CATHETER (THC) DYSFUNCTION: A MULTI-CENTRE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE

 

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https://storage.unitedwebnetwork.com/files/1099/cb130d3fa92c41de299bd3129473f7ea.pdf
COMMUNITY-BASED LYTIC DWELL PROTOCOL FOR TUNNELLED HAEMODIALYSIS CATHETER (THC) DYSFUNCTION: A MULTI-CENTRE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE

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Pauline
Tan
Meihua Lu meihua.lu@nkfs.org National Kidney Foundation Nursing Services Singapore Singapore -
Cynthia Wong cynthia.wong@nkfs.org National Kidney Foundation Nursing Services Singapore Singapore -
Maynard Urmatan Maynard.urmatan@nkfs.org National Kidney Foundation Nursing Services Singapore Singapore -
Pauline Tan pauline.tan@nkfs.org National Kidney Foundation Nursing Services Singapore Singapore *
Li Choo Ng ng.li.choo@sgh.com.sg Singapore General Hospital Renal Nursing Singapore Singapore -
Suh Chien Pang pang.suh.chien@singhealth.com.sg Singapore General Hospital Renal Medicine Singapore Singapore -
Ru Yu Tan tan.ru.yu@singhealth.com.sg Singapore General Hospital Renal Medicine Singapore Singapore -
Yasmin Ng yasminnyy@hotmial.com Ministry of Health National Improvement Unit Singapore Singapore -
Shady Botros sbotros@IHI.sg Ministry of Health National Improvement Unit Singapore Singapore -
Jason Choo jason.choo@nkfs.org National Kidney Foundation Medical Services Singapore Singapore -
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The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is a non-profit healthcare organisation that provides haemodialysis (HD) for more than 4500 patients in 40 community-based dialysis centres (DC) across Singapore in 2023. 15% of patients were using tunnelled haemodialysis catheters (THC) as their vascular access, with a median of 48 monthly hospital referrals for catheter dysfunction as lytic dwell to restore flow in occluded THC had traditionally been performed in acute hospitals.

This posed a significant burden on the patients, caregivers and the acute hospitals. This study aimed to reduce hospital referrals by implementing a standardised community-based THC lytic dwell protocol. 


A phased quality improvement initiative was implemented across NKF DC in collaboration with eight major Singapore hospitals and the National Improvement Unit. The intervention comprised two sequential bundles:

1. Optimising Blood flow, Locking solution, Anticoagulant & Standardising Technique (BLAST)

2. Empowering community dialysis nurses to perform Catheter flow restoration with Lytic dwEll at community diAlysis centRe (CLEAR).

Primary outcome measures included monthly THC dysfunction episodes and hospital referrals. Process measures tracked nurse training completion, whilst safety was monitored through 72-hour post-procedure infective complications.

Over 2.5 years, 402 hospital admissions were averted with an 86.8% procedural success rate. Hospital referrals for THC dysfunction decreased from baseline (48 cases/month) to 34, 11.5, and 19.5 cases at 1 year, 2 years, and 2.5 years respectively, representing reductions of 29.2%, 76.0%, and 59.4%.

A total of 116 community nurses were successfully trained in lytic agent administration. Importantly, no infective complications occurred within 72 hours of community-based lytic dwell procedure.

This multi-centre initiative demonstrates that appropriately trained community dialysis nurses can safely and effectively perform lytic dwell for THC occlusion. The protocol achieved substantial reductions in hospital referrals whilst maintaining patient safety, offering a scalable model for improving dialysis care delivery and reducing healthcare system burden. These findings support feasibility of task-shifting complex procedures to the community setting with appropriate training and protocols.

Kewords