Involuntary Discharge from Dialysis

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Patients who are disruptive or non-compliant risk being discharged from dialysis, which puts them at high risk of dying.

There are two sides to this question:

• Patients should follow directions and behave well toward their caregivers
• Dialysis centers should understand the pressures patients are under and do their best to resolve situations before they get to an unmanageable state.

Robin and Joyce speak with Dr. Robert Allan Bear, a retired nephrologist from Toronto, Canada, who serves as an advisor to a number of dialysis centers both in the US and Canada.

Dr. Bear Tweets and blogs @RobertAllanBear. He is the author of Sorrow’s Reward, a book of his reflections of patients, family members, physicians and staff in a dialysis unit.