A Pediatric Patient Experience of Home Hemodialysis: Case Report

Home hemodialysis (HD) has been supported by health authorities in many countries due to its nature of providing more freedom to the patients and the possibility to individualize the treatment. The treatment method is notable as a feasible dialysis option due to increase in life quality and improvement in the clinical findings of patients. However, pediatric home HD (HHD) is infrequently performed. In this study, we aimed to share our first year experience with HHD in a 15-year-old male patient. A15-year-old male patient who had been receiving chronic peritoneal dialysis(CPD) for 13 years due to ESRD was transferred to chronic HD treatment due to treatment-resistant hypervolemia, hypertension, anemia and hyperphosphatemia associated with CPD failure. The education period was started with the consent of patient and his family and no problem was observed except short-term fear during the entry of a needle. Following the education period in the hospital, the treatment of the patient was continued at home. At the end of the first year of HHD treatment, increase in growth percentile and academic success, regression in the symptoms related to uremia, and also decrease in the use of medication and hospitalization were observed. Our patient felt better and had increased appetite, better growth scores and higher academic success, indicating that HHD could be a successful renal replacement treatment technique with its control of uremia-related symptoms and the decrease in medication needs of the patient.