With the increasing need for chronic renal replacement due to renal failure in our communities, there has been a large increase in the number of patients with arterio-venous fistula. These fistulas are the patient’s lifeline and ultrasound plays an important role in providing information of the wellbeing of the fistula.
It is the type of study that may be only occasionally performed in a practice and it may be difficult to feel confident when you are only performing these studies occasionally.
This lecture will cover tips in which sonographers can optimise their evaluation of the fistula with increased knowledge of the fistula circuit, what the dialysis unit can provide in background information to help guide the study and the addition of physical assessment to
complement the ultrasound findings. Recognising various common pathologies will be reviewed to forearm you in your future AVF scanning.