What is Dialysis?

Dialysis is a medical method mainly used to help the body filter out excess waste and fluid accumulated in the blood, especially when a person’s kidneys are not functioning properly. It acts as an artificial support system to help patients maintain normal health.

What is Hemodialysis?

Hemodialysis is a treatment method that replaces kidney function through extracorporeal circulation technology.

Its core principle is to draw the patient’s blood outside the body, pass it through a dialyzer (containing a semipermeable membrane), and remove metabolic wastes, excess fluids, and electrolytes through diffusion and ultrafiltration, as well as correct acidosis. The purified blood is then returned to the body, thereby maintaining fluid balance and relieving uremic symptoms. This process depends on professional dialysis equipment and medical staff operations, typically requiring 2-4 treatments per week, each lasting 3-5 hours.

Although it cannot fully replace the endocrine function of healthy kidneys, it can effectively prolong the life of end-stage renal disease patients and stabilize the internal environment.

Benefits of Hemodialysis

Efficient removal of toxins and fluids

Compared with peritoneal dialysis, it removes metabolic wastes (such as creatinine and urea) and excess fluid from the blood more quickly and thoroughly. It shows immediate results, especially suitable for patients with high toxin load or acute renal failure.

Professional medical monitoring (performed in a dialysis center)

The entire treatment is operated and monitored by medical staff, allowing real-time parameter adjustments and management of emergencies (such as hypotension, allergic reactions), providing higher safety.

No need for patient self-operation (dialysis center model)

Patients are not required to master complex operational procedures or be responsible for equipment maintenance, reducing psychological burden and the risk of home infections.

Strict infection control

Dialysis centers follow standardized sterile operation procedures, reducing risks of catheter infections and peritonitis (compared with peritoneal dialysis).

Treatment regularity

Fixed times, frequency, and standardized processes help enforce treatment discipline, avoiding compliance issues that may arise with home treatments.

Common Hemodialysis Consumables

Dialyzer

Core component of hemodialysis, commonly known as the “artificial kidney.” It is a disposable filter containing numerous hollow fibers.

Function: Based on the semipermeable membrane principle, it allows solute diffusion exchange and fluid convection clearance between blood and dialysate through the membrane. Key features include membrane material, permeability (distinguishing between high-flux and low-flux dialyzers), and effective membrane surface area.

Hemodialysis blood tubing

A sterile, closed tubing system made of biocompatible materials such as PVC or TPE. It transports the patient’s blood to the dialyzer and safely returns it to the body.

Double-pump tubing structure (arterial and venous lines) coordinates with the dialysis machine’s blood pump and venous pressure monitor. It ensures the blood does not contact the external environment during extracorporeal circulation and allows for saline infusion, fluid administration, and anticoagulant addition.

A.V. Fistula Needle

A specialized needle for puncturing the arteriovenous fistula to establish the extracorporeal circulation pathway for hemodialysis.

Needle tip is extremely sharp with a beveled edge and siliconized surface to reduce vascular intima damage. It requires a sufficiently large internal diameter to ensure blood flow, with a design that allows secure fixation and directional rotation to minimize fistula damage.

Hemodialysis catheter Kit

A combination kit of hemodialysis access devices inserted temporarily or long-term via central veins (such as the internal jugular, femoral, or subclavian veins). Materials are usually silicone or polyurethane.

· Short-term

Thicker wall and slightly harder for easier insertion. Mainly used for acute kidney injury or emergency use within a few weeks. Double-lumen design, no subcutaneous tunnel, higher infection risk.

· Long-term

Also known as tunneled catheters with polyester cuffs. Softer wall to reduce vascular irritation. The polyester cuff integrates with subcutaneous tissue after implantation to form a physical barrier that significantly lowers infection risk. Must be placed through a subcutaneous tunnel, suitable for long-term use or patients lacking other vascular access.

Dialysis Powder/Liquid

Raw materials for preparing dialysate, available in concentrated solution and dry powder forms.

· Acid Hemodialysis Powder

A concentrated dry powder (requires dissolution) mainly containing acidic electrolytes and buffer precursors. Once dissolved in water, it forms the concentrated A solution, a key component of final dialysate preparation.

· Bicarbonate Hemodialysis Powder

A concentrated dry powder (requires dissolution) mainly containing alkaline buffer (bicarbonate/bicarbonate precursors). Dissolved in water to form concentrated B solution, which is the main source of buffering for final dialysate.

· Hemodialysis Acid Concentrate

An acidic electrolyte concentrate derived from dissolved A powder or direct production. It contains sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, glucose, chloride ions, and small amounts of acetic acid or citric acid.

· Hemodialysis Bicarbonate Concentrate

A bicarbonate concentrate derived from dissolved B powder or direct production (mostly liquid). Its bicarbonate concentration is much higher than physiological levels and must be diluted proportionally and mixed correctly with A solution by the dialysis machine to form a safe and effective final dialysate.

Bicarbonate Hemodialysis Bi-Cart/Bi-Bag

· Special sealed packaging containers for powdered dialysis concentrates.

· Features include single-use with pre-measured powder amounts sufficient for a set dialysis period. Canister design facilitates transport and storage; bag design is usually used with large centralized dissolving systems for quantitative automatic dissolution and supply.

Cleaning and Disinfection Products

Special chemical agents used to clean and disinfect the interior of dialysis machines before and after treatment. They work in coordination with the machine’s specific cleaning and disinfection programs.

· Citric Acid Disinfection Stick

A solid stick containing high-concentration citric acid. It is placed into the dialysis machine’s designated heated water container, dissolving to produce high-temperature acid solution (approximately 85–95°C) for dissolving scale and inorganic salt deposits. It has excellent descaling performance.

· Sodium Carbonate Cleaning Stick

A solid stick containing sodium carbonate. Added after citric acid thermal disinfection to generate a warm alkaline solution. Its main function is to neutralize residual acid and further clean and remove organic residues. Often used as a step in the heat disinfection process.

· Citric Acid Disinfection Solution

Liquid bottled citric acid formulation. Automatically drawn and diluted by the dialysis machine in a set ratio during use. Mainly used to neutralize residual oxidants after normal or low-temperature chemical disinfection (e.g., sodium hypochlorite or peracetic acid), preventing machine corrosion or negative effects on subsequent treatments. It also has a mild descaling effect.

· Peracetic Acid Disinfection Solution

Liquid peracetic acid in bottles or barrels. A strong oxidizing disinfectant that can be diluted automatically by the dialysis machine or used at specified concentration directly. It disinfects the dialysis machine’s fluid pathways at normal or low temperatures through powerful sterilizing effects.

It acts quickly, has a broad-spectrum antimicrobial range, and decomposes into non-toxic byproducts (acetic acid, oxygen, water). However, it must be strictly used following standard procedures and concentration/time controls to ensure effectiveness and safety.

Dialysis Care Pack

A single-use sterile operation kit. Used for handling dialysis access sites (mostly central venous catheter ports or AV fistula puncture sites) or other procedures requiring a sterile environment.

Typical Components:

· Sterile drape, medical adhesive tape, puncture site dressing

· Disinfection cotton balls/swabs (with povidone-iodine/alcohol/chlorhexidine)

· Hemostatic gauze balls

· Gloves, tourniquet, sharps container label

IV. Conclusion

In summary, hemodialysis consumables form the essential material basis for the safe and effective execution of dialysis treatment. These precision instruments and consumables work synergistically to ensure efficient removal of metabolic waste and stabilization of the internal environment. Their strict biocompatibility design and sterile safety systems greatly reduce infection risks.