This is a brief introduction to the Jack Pryor Haemodialysis Unit. We do not have any pictures of the Cromer or James Paget Haemodialysis Units yet.

It is possible to have have a haemodialysis machine setup in your house. Ask if you have questions regarding this.

Welcome to the
Jack Pryor Unit

East Block, Level 3

Norfolk And Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust
Colney Lane
Norwich NR4 7UY

The Unit

Nearest entrance to Jack Pryor Unit, East Block.	Entrance to Jack Pryor Unit, on Level 3, East Block.  The waiting area and ward clerk's desk.
A dialysis room
Layout of the Jack Pryor Unit

AT THE UNIT

When you start haemodialysis you will be told how many times a week you need it and how long each session will be.  You will be allocated a room which is run by a team of nurses.  The rooms are named by colours.  There are five teams for each room - Blue Peach Pink Green and Yellow.

Car parking is free.  Take a ticket at the barrier and have it stamped on the Jack Pryor Unit before you leave.  Transport can be provided but this service is already stretched to its limit.  Using your own transport will save yourself a lot of waiting around before and after treatment.

When you arrive for haemodialysis there is a waiting area for you to sit in until you are called.  It takes time to prepare for haemodialysis and you will be called as soon as the nurses are ready.  Each room has 6 dialysis stations (the Yellow room has 4), and there are 3 sessions a day starting at 07:30, then at about 12:30, and then at about 17:30.  Each session is usually 3 to 4 hours long.  The unit is open from Monday to Saturday.  It is closed at night and on Sundays.

When called from the waiting area you are weighed to determine how much fluid your body has accumulated since your last treatment, and this is removed by the haemodialysis machine during treatment.  Your blood pressure is then taken.  After this you are "attached" to the machine using your dialysis catheter or your fistula or graft.

A HAEMODIALYSIS CATHETER LINE

A picture of a dialysis catheter that is attached to a dialysis machine.  The catheter is the point of access where blood is taken from the body for dialysis treatment and then returned to the body.  The tube which carries blood from the body is called the 'arterial line', and the tube that delivers blood back to the body is called the 'venous' line.  The catheter enters the body near the neck and goes down into a major vein that travels to the heart.  A major vein is used because dialysis treatment needs a good flow of blood.

At the end of treatment the catheter is flushed with saline (water and salt) and 'locked' with a substance to prevent the catheter becoming clogged with blood, keeping it patent for the next treatment.  The line remains in the patient when they go home.

Your dialysis line.

Necklines can be divided into two sorts. Firstly "temporary lines", and secondly, "permanent lines". Permanent lines are sometimes called "permcaths". They are not permanent but longer lasting than the "temporary lines", and are taken out when a working fistula is made.

There is a right way to look after these lines when they are in you neck. Please make sure the nurses have told you how to look after these lines when (if) you have one put in.

 

 

TWO FISTULAS WITH HAEMODIALYSIS NEEDLES IN DURING TREATMENT.

The better and long term way to access the blood for haemodialysis is to use a fistula. These work better (the flow of blood from and to them can be faster and more consistent), and they present less infection risks than catheter lines.

They are created in an operating theatre where an artery is joined to a vein.  About 6 weeks later the arterial blood which is now flowing straight into the vein, swells the vein and also makes it stronger.  The vein grows enough for two dialysis needles to be inserted into it for each dialysis treatment.  Again, one needle acts as an 'arterial' line, and the other, which returns the blood to the patient, acts as a venous line.  At the end of treatment the needles are removed.

DIALYSIS

After the patient is connected to the machine little else happens.  The blood is circulated and treated.  Patients read, watch TV (provided free), listen to music, talk or sleep etc throughout the treatment.

A cup of tea and sandwiches are brought around during treatment.

Nurses monitor treatment throughout.

After 3 or 4 hours, when treatment finishes, the blood in the machine circuit is washed back to the patient, access lines are flushed and access needles are removed.  Your BP (Blood Pressure)  will be taken and then you are weighed again to measure the extent of fluid removal from your body.

After this you leave and we see you next in few days time.

The Machine

 

We use the Fresenius Dialysis machine.  They come in different configurations.  Some are larger and some smaller, but they look much the same.  The above picture shows the basics of the larger type.

The dialysis rota

The dialysis rota is the rota scheduling all dialysis treatments.  The rota is nearly full and this means that the renal unit can not always offer the dialysis times that patients request.  Every attempt is made to arrange the rota to suit patient needs, but at times you may have little choice as to when the dialysis sessions will be during the week.  If you would prefer to dialyse at another time or day, then you will be put on a waiting list and given your choice of time and day as soon as a slot becomes available.  Dialysis sessions have to be spread out over the week as evenly as possible for clinical reasons.

A few of the staff

	Education Sister Shahn		Sister Mo			Sister Angie		Sister Sally
	Staff Nurse Sally		Staff Nurse Dios			Staff Nurse Dick		Staff Nurse Johnny
	Staff Nurse Gill		Staff Nurse Jill			Staff Nurse Jennifer		Staff Nurse Joan
	Staff Nurse Lalu		Staff Nurse Angela			Staff Nurse Edgar		Enrolled Nurse Tina

	Assistant Noel		Assistant Chris			Assistant Paul		Assistant Colin
	Assistant Simon					Assistant Jayne