Renal physician prescribed superfluous dialysis

An Auricher kidney doctor prescribed superfluous dialysis?

11/16/2012

Patients had complained to their health insurance company about the treatment of a renal physician from Aurich. Then the prosecutor's office targeted the physician. This is said to have prescribed dialysis therapy in numerous cases, although this was completely unnecessary from a medical point of view. For several months, the doctor may not treat patients of the statutory health insurance.

The allegations weigh heavily: Has an Aurich kidney specialist massively prescribed dialysis treatments, even though there was no need to do so? The public prosecutor's office determined according to own data against the Nephrologen due to the „Suspected of serious assault and fraud in at least 42 patient cases.“ According to the investigating authority, the doctor had accordingly treated every third patient incorrectly. The majority of the victims are said to be older people. According to the spokeswoman for the prosecutor, Annette Huefner, „The investigations have been under way since October 2011“. It is unclear, however, when and if any charge is made against the physician.

Patients complained about the doctor
Patients had complained about the doctor anonymously at the general local health insurance (AOK) and the Kassen Medical Association (KVN). The origin was a routine check, a KVN spokesman said. Normally, in practices offering dialysis for 100 to 150 patients, at least two nephrologists and one internist must work. In the town of Aurich, two of the three doctors had ceased their activity last autumn. One of them was the former practice owner, the spokesman said. He had been working with the doctor for years. In summer 2011 he handed over the practice.

Routine verification detected incorrect treatments
Over the course of six months, the remaining doctor had failed to find two new doctors. As a result, the KVN has the department „quality Commission“ switched on to carry out a check. As part of this review, it was noticeable when reviewing the patient data that the main problem was not the too few general practitioners, but often treatments were wrong. In addition, there are apparently also hygienic defects, so the KVN.

Assault due to wrong treatment
„Dialysis is an invasion of physical integrity“, explains Prof. Jan Galle, spokesman of the German Society for Nephrology. Before the dialysis can be initiated, a catheter must be laid. Many patients have to undergo serious surgery. Patients undergoing a blood wash, although there is no adequate indication, sufferers may suffer damage to the organs. After about two dialyses there is an additional physical dependence.

During the review, the experts found such massive deficiencies, so that the KVN after a confirmation by the Provincial Social Court, close the practice. Many patients are „fallen from the clouds“, when they heard about it. Accordingly, the physician first lost his cash register and may only treat privately.

Without cash patients, however, such a practice can not be operated, which is why the premises are about to be sold. But not only the practice closure is a bitter blow for the kidney doctor. The Lower Saxony Ministry of Social Affairs checks according to their own information, „whether the doctor is in principle withdrawn from the license“. Prof. Galle emphasized that it is „is an absolute individual case“. Patients are uncertain, they should rather seek a second opinion by another kidney specialist.

Dialysis is a serious intervention in the organism
A blood wash must be given to patients if they have severe kidney damage. Dialysis is used to purify the blood, because the kidney is no longer functioning properly and urinary substances can no longer excrete. If those affected did not undergo dialysis, they would poison themselves from the inside. During blood washing, the blood is washed through a membrane, on one side is blood and the plasma and on the other side a dialysis solution. In this process, the patient is deprived of water and toxic substances. During treatment it can lead to strong blood pressure reductions. Not infrequently, fatigue, feelings of numbness and headache occur.

The procedure is very costly because patients have to come to the surgery three times a week and blood purification takes about five hours. Most patients are over 60 years old. In many cases, kidney failure is caused by the progression of type 2 diabetes. (Sb)

Picture: Sword