Does Poly-N-Acetyl Glucosamine Patch Use Reduce Arteriovenous Fistula and Graft Failure Rates in Hemodialysis Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease?

Maintenance of functional vascular access is crucial for the delivery of hemodialysis. The SyvekPatch is a topical marine microalgal poly-N-acetyl glucosamine hemostat approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the local management of bleeding wounds, such as vascular site, percutaneous catheters or tubes, and surgical debridement. The Preservation of Vascular Access Study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of patch use in reducing failure rates of arteriovenous fistulas or grafts. Data from medical records of patients who received hemodialysis from January 2001 to December 2005 at local ambulatory outpatient hemodialysis units in Charleston, South Carolina were analyzed. To explore whether greater use of the poly-N-acetyl glucosamine patch resulted in more favorable outcomes, patients were categorized into no patch use (n=183) or 2 groups involving patch use,