DENVER, Sept. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/
-- DaVita Kidney Care, a
division of DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading provider in kidney
care services, is urging dialysis patients to adhere to boil water
advisories in their areas. Currently, municipalities across
multiple states impacted by Hurricane Florence are under boil water
advisories due to flooding.
"Clean water is critical for dialysis patients whose immune
systems are vulnerable to infection," said Dr. Martin Schreiber, vice president, clinical
affairs for DaVita Kidney Care. "In
areas under boil water advisories, taking precautions with
everyday tasks like bathing, washing hands, and cooking is
imperative for the safety of those on dialysis."
States with municipalities that have active boil water
advisories in place include North
Carolina, South Carolina
and Virginia – and the geographic
scope may increase.
Public health advisories related to the safety of boiled water
have been issued stating the potential harm to dialysis patients of
using non-boiled water. During a Boil Water Advisory, dialysis
patients should avoid any contact with non-boiled water due to the
elevated infection risk.
DaVita urges dialysis patients to be aware of and follow these
advisories. Dialysis patients with either a central venous or
peritoneal dialysis catheter or other types of vascular access
should use boiled water for bathing or general hygiene. It is
unsafe for any individual with a dialysis catheter, whether on
in-center hemodialysis, home hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis,
to bathe in water or clean the dialysis access with non-boiled
water when there is a Boil Water Advisory in effect. Doing so puts
those patients at significant risk of infection, hospitalizations
and even death.
It is recommended that patients check with their local dialysis
team and clinical professionals prior to exposing any
dialysis-related access to municipal water when under a Boil Water
Advisory.
About DaVita Kidney
Care
DaVita Kidney Care is a division of DaVita Inc., a Fortune
500® company, that through its operating divisions provides a
variety of health care services to patient populations
throughout the United States and abroad. A leading
provider of dialysis services in the United
States, DaVita Kidney Care treats patients with chronic
kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita Kidney
Care strives to improve patients' quality of life by
innovating clinical care, and by offering integrated treatment
plans, personalized care teams and convenient health-management
services. As of June 30, 2018, DaVita Kidney
Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,580
outpatient dialysis centers located in the United
States serving approximately 201,000 patients. The company
also operated 253 outpatient dialysis centers located in 10
countries outside the United States. DaVita Kidney
Care supports numerous programs dedicated to creating
positive, sustainable change in communities around the world. The
company's leadership development initiatives and social
responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune, Modern
Healthcare, Newsweek and WorldBlu. For more information, please
visit DaVita.com.
Contact Information
Media:
Courtney Culpepper
303-876-6600
Courtney.culpepper@davita.com
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SOURCE DaVita Kidney Care