Arteriovenous Fistula Management

This book provides healthcare professionals with comprehensive information on arteriovenous fistula (AF) as a vascular access. It is structured into topics that focus on aspects relevant to this day-to-day care.In this book, two areas of attention are highlighted, one focused on the dialysis professional (promoting assessment skills and maintaining access) and the other on empowering the patient to care for the fistula. No book in the literature has this perspective. The assistance model of care developed by Clemente Sousa shows that the existence of a structure with focus areas to specifically care for people with arteriovenous fistula facilitates the development of cognitive skills and the acquisition of skills that allow nurses to identify and diagnose early changes in the AVF functioning. This structure reorganizes and outlines the areas of care where the nurse can help maximize the longevity of the arteriovenous fistula and minimize the implications for health systems.In this book, the information is systematized using this assistance model to improve AF care and, simultaneously, minimize as much as possible the complications of access through the inclusion of the patient. This book establishes an integration between the aspects of preparation, development, and maintenance of arteriovenous fistula, relating them to the needs of the individual and the need for nurses and health professionals to promote continuous improvement of care.