Standard intermittent haemodialysis

Five principles for understanding dialysis

How diffusion, osmosis, convection, and ultrafiltration work during haemodialysis.

Clearance in dialysis

What clearance means, how blood flow, dialysate flow, and membrane properties affect it, and how Kt/V and URR fit in.

The dialysis machine

A tour of the blood circuit, dialyser, blood pump, dialysate circuit, monitors, and alarms.

Dialysate and water quality

Why dialysate composition is individualised and how water quality, conductivity, and electrolytes relate to safety.

Dialyser membranes: low-flux, high-flux, and high cut-off

A comparison of membrane permeability and the removal of middle molecules.

Ultrafiltration

Removing excess water and how the treatment time, pressure, and individual removal rate are related.

Dry weight and target weight

Target weight is a changing clinical estimate that balances excess volume against symptoms of low volume.

Dialysis adequacy

How Kt/V and URR are used within a wider assessment that includes treatment time, sampling, nutrition, and residual kidney function.

High-efficiency, high-flux dialysis, and HDF

The difference between urea removal, membrane permeability, and haemodiafiltration.

Dialyser surface area: is it based on weight or height?

What belongs in dialyser selection beyond a person’s weight or height.

Anticoagulation and circuit clotting

Why anticoagulation may be needed during treatment and how plans reflect bleeding and clotting risk.

The first dialysis session

Why planned chronic-kidney-disease initiation differs from urgent dialysis in acute injury or severe uraemia.

Vascular access

Fistula, graft, and catheter planning, with daily checks for dysfunction and infection.

Managing hyperphosphataemia in adults with CKD

Monitoring, dietary phosphate, dialysis, binders and treatment of persistent hyperphosphataemia.

Phosphate binders in CKD: comparison and practical characteristics

A visual comparison of common phosphate binders, including binding capacity, dosing, advantages, and disadvantages.

Ten tips for the first haemodialysis sessions

Patient choice, volume, transplantation, medicines, vaccination and individualising the first treatments.

Converting between erythropoiesis-stimulating agents

The monthly Mircera starting-dose table for adults switching from epoetin or darbepoetin.

Fluid and weight between dialysis sessions

Why fluid limits and target weight need individual review.

What can someone on dialysis eat?

An individual plan for potassium, sodium, phosphate, protein, energy and fluid.

Treatment options for kidney failure

Haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, transplantation and comprehensive conservative care.

Caring for a dialysis fistula or graft

Daily access checks and signs that need prompt contact with the dialysis team.

Potassium in foods for dialysis

Potassium-conscious food preparation