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This year’s Taoyuan Hemodialysis Access Annual Symposium came to a successful and happy close with everyone’s enthusiastic participation.
This year’s symposium moved to a new venue that could hold more people in the discussions, and the organizing group invited different speakers to join the event.
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The symposium was opened by Dr. Ta-Wei Su, CEO of the Hemodialysis Access Professional Care Team, who introduced each speaker of this year’s Taoyuan symposium and the structure and plans of the team, and finally shared a saying left to us by teacher Mong-Hui Peng for mutual encouragement. (Image taken from Global Views Monthly media.)
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First speaker: we invited Dr. Jui-Hsiang Lin, Nephrology, De Ren Hospital / Taoyuan Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, to talk about the effect of vitamin K on peripheral vascular disease in dialysis patients. Director Lin carefully organized much clinical literature and explained it with charts, so everyone could quickly grasp the key points: in patients with chronic kidney disease, insufficient vitamin K easily leads to vascular calcification, speeds up the decline of kidney function, and causes bone disease.
Although current research finds that moderate vitamin K supplementation can improve and keep the blood level of vitamin C stable, there is not sufficient evidence that it can reduce mortality or vascular calcification; still, the level of vitamin K1 is indeed an indicator for assessing whether vascular calcification can be reduced.
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Second speaker: this year we were honored to invite Yi-Lien Wu, Chief Operating Officer of the Taiwan Kidney Disease Prevention Foundation, to join the symposium. Besides rich dialysis nursing experience, she is a health educator who loves cooking and a best-selling author. At this symposium she spoke fluently, sharing the story of her more than ten years at the Foundation, building it from nothing step by step. Moving from the viewpoint of treating disease to prevention, a series of current outreach activities developed: “Wise Kidney Lectures” and the “Swinging Tribe” serving remote areas and communities; the “Feng Shen Canteen,” teaching patients how to start with the right diet; and the “Kidney Strength School” elementary-school health talks, taking root from childhood: teaching pupils about the kidneys and kidney disease and how to begin with diet and daily life, along with rich and interesting related activities: painting contests, e-sports contests and summer camps.
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Third speaker: Prof. Mei-Ching Yu, Chief of Pediatric Nephrology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, presented “A Look into Children on Dialysis: Heartwarming Stories of Pediatric Dialysis.” Director Yu brought in the relevant literature to give attendees an overall picture of pediatric dialysis, then shared several heartwarming clinical stories of caring for children with kidney disease, helping attendees appreciate the position and feelings of young patients and their families. Through the interactive Q&A on site, everyone could better understand the differences between pediatric and adult dialysis care and the challenges of the current system. Let us keep giving support and encouragement to Director Yu’s team as they continue to work on the road of caring for children with kidney disease.
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Fourth speaker: Te-Sheng Chen, physical therapist, Quanxin Da’an Clinic, whose talk “Exercise and Health for Kidney Protection: 20 Years of Key Notes from a Professional Physical Therapist” lit up the whole room. Mr. Chen’s humorous and lively talk and interactive Q&A left a deep impression on attendees, and he led them on site in simple, practical exercises. We believe that after hearing his talk everyone is more motivated to “move” in daily life and can also help pass on exercise-related knowledge to patients.
Finally, we thank everyone who took part in this year’s event once again. Thank you all!
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