(adapted from Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention of Hemodialysis
Emergencies Manish Saha and Michael Allon)
By Michael Allon, M.D.
There are currently approximately 400,000 patients with ESRD
on maintenance hemodialysis in the United States. Each one
receives dialysis at least three times per week (156 times per
year). Given the large number of medical conditions patients
on hemodialysis have, and the complexity of the dialysis
treatment, it is remarkable how rarely a life-threatening
complication occurs during dialysis. The low rate of dialysis
emergencies can be attributed to staff vigilance and product
innovation.
Most patients will never have or see a dialysis emergency.
While it is rare that a serious event could happen during a
dialysis session, we outline some of the serious and less
serious emergencies that may occur during hemodialysis
treatments. If you experience any of these symptoms or
see your neighbors experience them, you should alert your
dialysis nurse.
Some of the most serious, possibly life-threatening,
emergencies include dialysis disequilibrium syndrome,
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