Dialysis Course

Lesson 1 • Chronic Kidney Disease Progression

Traces CKD from early hyperfiltration to end-stage renal disease. Connects disease staging to the timing of dialysis initiation decisions.

Lesson 2 • Pathophysiology of Acute Kidney Injury

Defines AKI stages, causes, and cellular mechanisms of injury. Prepares learners to recognize when urgent renal replacement therapy is indicated.

Lesson 3 • Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Disorders

Identifies imbalances common in renal failure and their clinical consequences. Provides the physiological rationale for dialysis prescription targets.

Lesson 4 • Renal Anatomy and Microstructure

Covers gross and microscopic kidney anatomy, including nephron components. Establishes the structural baseline needed to understand filtration dysfunction.

Lesson 1 • Solute Transport Mechanisms

Explains diffusion, convection, and adsorption as the three solute removal pathways. Connects each mechanism to specific dialysis modality design.

Lesson 2 • Dialysate Composition and Function

Details the role of each dialysate component in correcting uremic chemistry. Explains how composition changes alter treatment outcomes.

Lesson 3 • Adequacy Metrics and Dose Quantification

Introduces Kt/V, URR, and equivalent renal clearance as dose measures. Connects measured adequacy to patient outcomes and prescription adjustments.

Lesson 4 • Dialysis Membranes and Filters

Compares low-flux, high-flux, and high-cutoff membranes by pore size and material. Guides selection of appropriate membrane for patient-specific clearance goals.

Lesson 1 • Water Treatment Systems

Explains reverse osmosis, deionization, and disinfection steps in water purification. Establishes why water quality directly affects patient safety.

Lesson 2 • Extracorporeal Circuit Assembly

Covers bloodline priming, dialyzer connection, and circuit integrity checks. Ensures learners can assemble circuits correctly before patient connection.

Lesson 3 • Machine Alarms and Troubleshooting

Categorizes common alarms by cause and required response. Builds systematic troubleshooting skills to minimize treatment interruptions.

Lesson 4 • Anticoagulation in Hemodialysis

Compares heparin, low-molecular-weight heparin, and heparin-free protocols. Guides selection and monitoring of anticoagulation for individual patient risk.

Lesson 1 • Cannulation Techniques and Rotation

Teaches rope-ladder, area, and buttonhole cannulation methods with needle selection. Correct technique reduces infiltration, aneurysm formation, and access damage.

Lesson 2 • Central Venous Catheters for Dialysis

Explains tunneled and non-tunneled catheter types, insertion sites, and care protocols. Highlights catheter-related risks and strategies to minimize infection.

Lesson 3 • Arteriovenous Grafts

Describes graft materials, configurations, and earlier cannulation timelines versus AVF. Addresses the higher complication profile requiring closer surveillance.

Lesson 4 • Access Surveillance and Monitoring

Introduces flow measurement, dynamic venous pressure, and imaging-based surveillance. Early detection of stenosis prevents thrombosis and access loss.

Lesson 1 • Intradialytic Hypotension Management

Identifies causes, prevention strategies, and stepwise treatment of blood pressure drops. IDH is the most common acute complication and requires rapid response.

Lesson 2 • Pre-Treatment Patient Assessment

Covers weight, blood pressure, access, and symptom review before each session. Systematic pre-treatment assessment drives safe prescription implementation.

Lesson 3 • Other Acute Intradialytic Complications

Addresses muscle cramps, disequilibrium syndrome, air embolism, and hemolysis. Recognition and immediate response prevent serious patient harm.

Lesson 4 • Initiating and Monitoring Treatment

Details patient connection, blood flow ramp-up, and ongoing monitoring intervals. Consistent monitoring detects early complications before they escalate.

Lesson 1 • Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis

Teaches CAPD exchange procedure, dwell times, and fill volumes. Manual exchange technique must be aseptic to prevent peritonitis.

Lesson 2 • Automated Peritoneal Dialysis

Explains APD cycler operation, prescription parameters, and troubleshooting alarms. APD offers nocturnal therapy flexibility and higher clearance potential.

Lesson 3 • PD Complications and Peritonitis Management

Identifies peritonitis, catheter-related infections, hernias, and ultrafiltration failure. Early diagnosis and protocol-driven treatment preserve membrane and catheter function.

Lesson 4 • PD Catheter Placement and Care

Covers catheter types, surgical placement, break-in period, and exit-site care. Proper catheter management is the foundation of infection-free PD therapy.

Lesson 1 • CRRT Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Addresses filter clotting, pressure alarms, fluid balance errors, and electrolyte shifts. Proactive monitoring sustains filter life and patient hemodynamic stability.

Lesson 2 • CRRT Prescription and Dose Delivery

Defines effluent dose targets, replacement fluid composition, and delivered versus prescribed dose. Accurate dose delivery requires accounting for downtime and filter life.

Lesson 3 • Anticoagulation Strategies for CRRT

Compares regional citrate anticoagulation and systemic heparin for CRRT circuit patency. Citrate is preferred when bleeding risk is elevated.

Lesson 4 • CRRT Circuit Setup and Access

Covers large-bore catheter selection, circuit priming, and filter connection for CRRT. Correct setup prevents early clotting and treatment interruptions.

Lesson 1 • Mineral and Bone Disorder Management

Addresses phosphate control, vitamin D therapy, and calcimimetic use in CKD-MBD. Uncontrolled mineral disorder drives vascular calcification and fracture risk.

Lesson 2 • Nutrition Assessment and Support

Evaluates protein-energy wasting, dietary intake, and nutritional supplementation needs. Malnutrition is a major mortality predictor in dialysis patients.

Lesson 3 • Individualized HD Prescription Design

Applies patient weight, residual function, and access flow to set HD parameters. Prescription is a dynamic document adjusted by adequacy data and clinical response.

Lesson 4 • Medication Management in Dialysis

Applies dialyzability principles to adjust drug dosing and timing around treatments. Incorrect dosing causes toxicity or therapeutic failure in this population.

Lesson 5 • Anemia Management in Dialysis Patients

Covers erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, iron supplementation, and hemoglobin targets. Anemia management reduces cardiovascular burden and improves quality of life.