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1961: threshold of the new nephrology
A symposium in Edinburgh on 25th March 1961 was one of the first in the UK to consider the full new range of clinical nephrology. Twin coil artificial kidney (Kolff-Travenol dialysis machine) in Edinburgh Dialysis for acute renal failure (ARF, AKI)The excitement in the first session is palpable. Nobody at this meeting was negative about…
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The renal data revolution from 1980
Renal units pioneer electronic records In the UK through the 1970s and 1980s renal units found themselves responsible for increasing numbers of patients, and services were stretched to capacity and beyond in seeking to cope with pressure of new starts. Managing their complex treatments and monitoring frequent test results was a major problem for understaffed…
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Hepatitis outbreaks run through renal units: 1964-72
Staff as well as patients die, and new patients are turned down in affected centres From about 1964 there was increasing excitement that dialysis might become a major life-saving treatment for chronic renal failure, not just for acute renal failure. Transplantation was also in its infancy, but despite some promise, overall success rates at this…
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Dialysis for endstage renal failure in the UK
Good news travels quickly In September 1960 Scribner recounted his first 6 months experience of dialysis via the new AV shunt at the first International Society of Nephrology meeting in Evian, which had just launched its mineral water. (If you haven’t already, you might start by reading Dialysis for endstage renal failure in the world.…
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The first successful transplants, 1960-70
For patients, a last throw of the dice The first human transplants were heroic operations undertaken at a time when dialysis was not a long term option. A few outstanding stories kept hopes high, but in general, the outcome of these early experiments were down heartening. Photos: Linda Phillips in 1966, at the Western General…
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Dialysis in the UK in 1959
50 years ago dialysis suddenly caught on in the UK In 1958 there were only 3 renal units operating in the UK, at Leeds, Hammersmith, and RAF Halton. The Leeds unit had been the first, using a modified version of the original Kolff dialysis machine, but the other two units had newer technology made by…