Infection Controlling Alert System for Hemodialysis Patients, Mobile Health Approach

Background: Hemodialysis (HD) patients are at risk of many resistant infections, because of weakened immune systems. Infectious complications are one of the main and common reasons of hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality among HD patients and they have been associated with high costs. 60% of patients with chronic renal failure requiring hospitalization were infected and 39% died from infectious causes, so these complications must be controlled. An important component of HD patients care to control and prevent complications is monitoring infections and antibiotic resistance patterns in HD patients for improving patient’s safety and quality of life. Using of infection alert systems can be an effective method to control the patient’s condition. Objectives: In this study, there was an attempt to present using of infection alert systems to analyze and control infectious complications associated with HD patients to improve their care. Methods: This study is done with the overview form by the use of library style and the advanced internet search of the scientific article in the database like PUBMED, MAGIRAN, SCIENCE DIRECT that their full text is accessible. Results: An internet-based infection controlling alert system continuously monitors infection risk factors by connecting to HD centers database. In This system, the entered data infection risk factors are analyzed and compared with previously gathered data and pre-defined acceptable ranges. If the system is detected any situation leading infectious, it alerts dialysis nurses in HD centers or patient family members in homes, so health care providers can control infectious complications by adjusting risk factors. The factors that must be checked in this system are vascular access type ratio, albumin, C-reactive protein, white blood cell and interleukin 6. Using infection alert systems were an effective controlling method in Korea and university of Bath in the United Kingdom. Conclusions: As studies show, using the alert systems can be considered an effective monitoring method for controlling and preventing infections and improving the quality of HD patients life. Due to the importance of monitoring infections and quickly identifying abnormalities, this method is recommended.