만성 콩팥병은 많은 사람들이 말기병으로 진단받고 있다. 이 질병은 혈액이 막과 투석기에 의해 세척되는 과정인 혈액투석에 의해 치료된다. 혈액투석을 위한 막은 혈액에서 불순물인 요소를 선택적으로 제거하는 역할을 하기 때문에 이 과 정은 중요한 첫 단계이다. 다양한 종류의 고분자로 구성된 막이 사용되지만, 낮은 선택도와 혈액적합성과 같은 다양한 단점을 가지고 있다. 이를 해결하기 위해 여러 논문에서 서로 다른 고분자의 혼합물을 사용하여 기공의 크기를 변화시키고 혈액적합 성을 높이며 선택성을 높이는 연구를 진행하였다. 그동안 보고된 논문들을 통해 혼합막이 더 큰 장점을 가지고 있음을 알 수 있었다.

This study was a qualitative investigation into hemodialysis patients' dietary practices. The purpose of this study was to explore the obstacles and requirements to maintain a recommended diet therapy in hemodialysis patients. Five patients undergoing hemodialysis in the renal chamber of the general hospital were interviewed individually. The interviews were based on an interview guide and analyzed by Giorgi’s method of analysis. As a result of this study, five elemental factors and 12 subelemental factors were derived. Derived elements were “difficulty in dietary guidelines”, “recognizing necessity of diet therapy”, “awareness of importance of diet”, “difficulty practicing diet therapy”, and “looking for ways to practice diet therapy”. Patients not only felt difficulties in practicing dietary guidelines but also recognized the need and importance of diet therapy. Patients seemed to have difficulty practicing meal therapy and eating with their families or others. They were also stressed by the limited selection of dietary components and rapid dietary changes before and after dialysis. However, patients showed a willingness to implement dietary management to improve their quality of life and to practice dietary therapy. In order to improve the practice of dietary management in hemodialysis patients, nutritional education should be focused on long-term dietary habits through continuous education and monitoring, not just one-off education. Moreover, patients should be educated that adherence to dietary control may be less burdensome on their families.

내열성이 우수한 polystyrene(PS)를 혈액투석용 분리막으로 사용하기 위해 생체적합성이 우수한 고분자를 블랜딩하여 나노파이버 혈액투석막을 제조하였다. 제조된 PS nanofiber mambrane은 직경(fiber meter), 표면특성, 기공크기 분석을 통해 혈액투석용 분리막으로 최적화하였다. PS nanofiber membrane을 음이온 및 친수성 고분자 용액으로 화학적 개질하여 혈액투석막의 효율을 향상시키고자 하였다. 개질 용액의 음이온기는 혈액 속 단백질 흡착을 저지시켜 내오염성을 향상시켰으며 친수성기는 혈액 속 과잉수분 및 염분을 제거하였다.

Hemodialysis membrane was prepared with polyamide6 via electrospinning technology for portable or wearable hemodialysis machine. Polyamide6 polymer solution was formed nanofiber membrane with fiber diameter of 72 ㎚, pore size 140 ㎚. Polyamide6 nanofiber membrane was chemically modified to enhance hemodialysis performance. Modified polyamide6 membrane showed an excellent hemodialysis performance and antifouling resistance against protein supplements by the esterification and crosslinking reaction.

생체적합성과 흡습 특성이 있는 polyamide6 (PA6)를 혈액투석용 분리막으로 사용하기 위해 16 wt% PA6 고분자 용액을 전기방사하여 제조하였다. 제조된 PA6 nanofiber membrane은 직경(fiber diameter), 표면특성, 기공의 크기 분석을 통해 혈액투석용 분리막으로 최적화하였다. PA6 nanofiber membrane는 제 올라이트가 첨가된 친수성 고분자 용액으로 개질하여 혈액 속 노폐물인 creatinine 흡착 제거용 분리막으로 사용하고, creatine의 흡착효과는 UV-visible 분석으로 확인하였다.

Hemodialysis is an effective therapy for renal failure in veterinary practice. To evaluate hematologic and hemodynamic changes during hemodialysis, 13 dogs were treated with hemodialysis, after which complete blood cell counts (CBC), serum chemistry, and mean systolic blood pressure were analyzed. For CBC, white blood cells (WBC) and platelets underwent significant changes. In serum chemistry, there were significant differences in blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, total protein, albumin, globulin, amylase, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus contents. Further, mean systolic blood pressure suddenly increased in early hemodialysis and decreased significantly thereafter. During hemodialysis, adverse effects were observed in some dogs as follows: bleeding (1 dog), anemia (2 dogs), leukopenia (8 dogs), thrombocytopenia (2 dogs), and hypotension (1 dog). This study demonstrates hematologic and hemodynamic effects during hemodialysis as well as complications similar to human medicine. Before applying the commercialized human hemodialysis system to canine renal failure patients, we monitored hematologic and hemodynamic findings during hemodialysis in healthy beagle dogs.

A 63-year-old woman with a history of nephrolithiasis and long-term hemodialysis (HD) presented with abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed urinoma induced by renal forniceal rupture, and three causative calculi. No active stone growth or new stones were observed when compared with previous CT, however, fragmentation and migration of an existing stone was observed. After ureteroscopic lithotripsy and stenting with a double-J catheter, the patient made a full recovery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of spontaneous renal forniceal rupture in an anuric HD patient caused by calculi. Renal forniceal rupture can occur, even in anuric HD patients.

Melioidosis, an infectious disease caused by the facultative intracellular gram-negative bacillus Burkholderia pseudomallei, is geographically restricted to Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. It commonly affects patients with underlying medical disease, such as diabetes mellitus or renal failure. In South Korea, only six cases of melioidosis have been reported in the literature. However, none of the patients had chronic kidney disease. We report on a case of melioidosis presenting as septicemic pneumonia in a 48-year old man undergoing hemodialysis. He was a returning traveler from Thailand.