The VI Course on Vascular Accesses for Haemodialysis (AVCHD), accredited by the Lifelong Learning Health Professions Council was held in the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall in Bilbao on the 25th and 26th of October 2011. The course, organised by the Spanish Dialysis Foundation, with the collaboration of the Spanish Society of Dialysis and Transplantation (SEDYT) (www.sedyt.org), the Spanish Association of Nephrological Nursing (SEDEN) (www.seden.org) and the Academy of Medical Sciences of Bilbao (www.acmbilbao.org) was attended by about 70 participants.1 It was inaugurated by Jesus Maria Hernandez Diaz, M.D., the Deputy Regional Minister of Health of the Basque Government.
In Spain, renal insufficiency was treated for the first time by haemodialysis in Barcelona, on the 25th of February 1957,2 and since then the fight for survival of these patients has led to the development of multiple vascular access variants due to the exhaustion of the traditional methods.
The progress of the Cimino-Brescia internal arteriovenous fistula, the favourite and best variant, has led to a greater survival rate of renal patients in haemodialysis.3 The advances in central venous catheters for haemodialysis,4 with respect to material and design, have made them easier to use and have given rise to a greater survival of the material.5
In this number of journal, we present the papers of the course, in English, for greater dissemination of the event. The content developed in the course varied from the types and indications of venous accesses, implant technique in femoral and jugular vein, use and care of venous accesses, to the complications and treatment of venous accesses.
Other topics dealt with included, surgical technique with pre-operative assessment to carry out an AVCHD with imaging diagnostic methods; autologous or native AVCHD or prosthetic AVCHD; AVCHD execution technique and care of the AVCHD; malfunction of the AVCHD; complications of the AVCHD; endovascular treatment of the complications of the AVCHD; and surgical treatment of complications of the AVCHD.
Nursing held a round table on nursing care,6 the topics dealt with including care of arteriovenous fistulae and of venous catheters, and the importance in nursing of the management of ultrasound images.
Haemodialysis currently requires multidisciplinary treatment with the interaction of four specialities – vascular surgery, radiology, vascular, nephrology and nursing – to guarantee the efficiency of the haemodialysis.7,8 The high point of the course was the presentation of the SEDYT medal to Professor Carlos Solozábal, M.D. (Figure 1).
A new course, the VII Course on Vascular Accesses for Haemodialysis is announced for the 23rd and 24th of November 2012, with a different programme and more technological knowledge.