This single-center cross-section with a modest number of patients but an almost 100% patient response shows that having 40% of patients on PD is possible with excellent results in terms of patient-reported outcomes. A structured patient education with attention to personal needs of patients, an adequate infrastructure for PD, and a dedicated team with ongoing patient support are key factors. Sharing best practices may help to slow down or even reverse the decline of PD, which is a pity both for patients and society.
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With the current rise in multiresistant gram-negative bacteria, carbapenems are more frequently used. Surprisingly, limited data exist on the pharmacokinetics of meropenem in peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis. We report on the pharmacokinetics of repeated intraperitoneal (IP) meropenem during 21 days as treatment for polymicrobial multiresistent PD-related peritonitis.Our current report supports daily doses of 125 mg/L intraperitoneal meropenem in all bags as an effective and safe modality in the treatment of PD-associated peritonitis with multiresistant microorganisms. No signs of over- or underdosing were found based on serial drug concentration measurements at fixed time points up to 21 days.

Introduction: Cancer is an incurable disease that affects people regardless of age, sex, race and social, economic and cultural status. Most cancer patients are treated with a combination of treatments based on the type of tumor, the extent of the disease, and their physical condition. Self-management programs empower people to deal with illness and improve their quality of life. Telemedicine in the form of mobile applications, websites and social networks is one of the effective tools to achieve this goal. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of telemedicine and social media on self-care of cancer patients.Method: English related articles were searched based on keywords in the title and abstract using PubMed and Scopus databases (from 1963 to December 2020). Keywords included telemedicine, social networking, self-care and m-health. Inclusion criteria included all studies published in English that examined the impact of telemedicine and social media on cancer patients' self-care. Review articles and non-intervention articles were excluded from the study.Results: A total of 516 articles were selected by title. After reviewing the abstract, 80 articles remained to be reviewed. After evaluating the full text of these articles, 9 eligible articles were selected for final review. In terms of the type of cancer among these studies, prostate cancer had the largest share (33%). In line with the main purpose of this study, in 7 articles (77.8%) telemedicine had a significant positive effect on self-care of cancer patients and increased self-care. In one article (11.1%) this effect was negative and reduced self-care. In 1 article (11.1%) no effect was observed.Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, it seems that web-based interventions and mobile health in most articles have been effective in increasing patients' self-care. However, due to the increasing number of cancers as well as the increasing use of telemedicine in the field of chronic diseases and cancer, the need for further studies is felt in this field.

Background The Dutch manual for the best care regarding training and education of our patients, as created by the special interest group for peritoneal dialysis (SIG PD), was revised. Objectives The aim of this paper is to describe topics learned from the manual revision, supported by noticed response changes in surveys from 2009 to 2019. Design Quantitative nursing research, using similar surveys to compare training and education over the last decade. Additionally, a brief search for literature was performed. Participants Dutch dialysis nurses. Approach In 2009, nurses were approached through an online survey sent to all dialysis centres in the Netherlands. In 2019, a similar survey was distributed during our annual Dutch nephrology days. Both surveys were compared and conclusions were drawn. Findings Retrieved information was divided into basic topics and compared. More important, our findings show that even after a decade, there is still no special education for the nurses and patient training is given based on experience alone. Furthermore, multiple nurses are involved in patient training, with varying materials. There are more home visits with training at home and retraining is more suitable. A growth in assisted PD implies more involvement by community nurses. Also, more acute PD is seen, with a different structure of training. Conclusions The manual was revised with input from our nurses and new guidelines, so we can uplift the education of peritoneal dialysis for the benefit of our patients, caretakers, and community nurses. As SIG PD we can support the dialysis nurses.