Applications of dialysis machines in medicine

Dialysis machines are primarily used in medicine to replace dysfunctional kidneys, purifying the blood through extracorporeal circulation and removing metabolic waste and excess water. They are also crucial life support equipment for rescuing patients with various critical illnesses.

Core Clinical Applications: End-stage renal disease (uremia): Providing long-term maintenance dialysis for patients who have lost kidney function is a core means of sustaining their lives.

Acute kidney injury: Assisting in temporarily replacing kidney function, buying time for the treatment of the primary disease and promoting kidney function recovery.

Severe drug or toxin poisoning: Rapidly removing toxins from the blood and saving lives.

Emergency and critical care: Widely used in ICU blood purification therapy (CRRT) to treat severe edema, heart failure, electrolyte imbalances (such as hyperkalemia), and multiple organ failure.

Main Treatment Modes: Hemodialysis (HD): Commonly known as "blood washing," it involves drawing blood out of the body, filtering it through a dialyzer, and then returning it to the body. It is usually performed 2-3 times per week, with each treatment lasting approximately 4 hours.

Hemofiltration (HF)/Hemoperfusion (HP): Simulates glomerular filtration or combines it with adsorption technology to more efficiently remove specific large molecular toxins and inflammatory mediators.

Peritoneal Dialysis (PD): Utilizes the patient's own peritoneum as a semipermeable membrane, with a peritoneal dialysis machine automatically exchanging dialysate at set times. It can be performed at home overnight.