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Fresenius Medical Care Urges Dialysis Community to Plan for Disaster: 5 Tips to Help Patients Prepare

Posted on: Tuesday, 19 June 2007, 12:00 CDT

As the 2007 peak hurricane season approaches, Fresenius Medical Care North America, operators of the nation's largest network of dialysis clinics, is urging kidney failure patients to plan ahead for disasters.

Kidney failure patients represent one of the most vulnerable segments of the population during a hurricane or other natural disaster. These patients typically need dialysis every two days; any substantial delay in dialysis care can be life-threatening.

Disaster Preparedness: Five Tips for Dialysis Patients

1. Keep your emergency phone numbers handy.

Patient Disaster Hotline: 1 (800) 626-1297. The 24-hour hotline, staffed by Fresenius Medical Care dialysis service specialists, will answer questions and direct all dialysis patients and their families to the nearest open clinic during an emergency.

2. Carry your up-to-date personal information with you at all times (ID, medication and allergy lists, insurance, emergency contact information, type of dialysis treatment).

3. Talk to your doctor and family about your evacuation plan -- what you should do and where you should go if a disaster strikes your local area -- and keep track of local weather forecasts.

4. Create a disaster kit with emergency supplies and at least one extra three-day supply of medicines. Many patients find it convenient to keep medicines and medical supplies in an easy-to-carry fanny or backpack.

5. Store a three-day supply of food based on your emergency meal plan. Begin this special diet plan as soon as a disaster is predicted or occurs and remain on it until you receive dialysis treatment. Limit fluid intake to two cups per 24 hours and avoid fresh fruit or vegetables.

"Emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere. Dialysis patients in particular cannot afford to be caught off guard," said Bill Numbers, Vice President of Operations Support and Incident Commander for Disaster Response and Planning. "The best defense is to be as informed and prepared as possible. By following these five tips, patients will know how to be self-sufficient for three days -- including having enough food, water and medicine -- and how to find dialysis care in the event of a disaster."

About Fresenius Medical Care North America

Fresenius Medical Care North America is a subsidiary of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA, the world's largest, integrated provider of products and services for individuals undergoing dialysis because of chronic kidney failure, a condition that affects more than 1,500,000 individuals worldwide. Through its network of approximately 2,194 dialysis clinics in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatment to approximately 169,216 patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the world's leading provider of dialysis products such as hemodialysis machines, dialyzers and related disposable products. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FME, FME3) and the New York Stock Exchange (FMS, FMS-p).

For more information about Fresenius Medical Care's U.S. network of more than 1,500 dialysis facilities, visit the Company's website at www.ultracare-dialysis.com. For more information about Fresenius Medical Care, visit the Company's websites: www.fmcna.com or www.fmc-ag.com.

Source: Business Wire

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