Principles of Hemo- and Peritoneal Dialysis

This chapter provides a comprehensive summary of the principles underlying different modalities of dialysis therapy for patients with chronic kidney disease. The chapter starts with an overview of the definition and staging of chronic kidney disease emphasizing the indications to initiate dialysis. A detailed description of the hemodialysis apparatus and the process of dialysis water purification steps with schematic illustrations are covered in the next section. A review of the hemodialysis machine, monitors, and alarms that ensure procedural patient safety summarizes the treatment process for a non-dialysis trained clinical provider. The physiological principles of hemodialysis therapy, the components of a maintenance hemodialysis prescription, and the fundamentals of arteriovenous access management completes the section. The chapter ends with a summary of the physiological principles of peritoneal dialysis, review of modality options, and discussion of the key elements of a peritoneal dialysis prescription.