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Last Updated 04/13/08
   

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Dialysis technicians and technologists spend more time with dialysis patients than any other health care professionals.  There are more dialysis technicians/technologists than nephrology nurses and nephrologists combined.

In most dialysis facilities, dialysis technicians perform dialysis treatments under the supervision of a registered nurse. Duties include pretreatment assessment, cannulation, initiation of treatment, treatment monitoring, discontinuation of treatment, and post-treatment assessment.

Dialysis technologists specialize in the technical operations of a dialysis facility. Duties include dialysis equipment maintenance and repair, water treatment monitoring, dialyzer reprocessing, and facility safety issues. See the Renal Career Fact Sheet for Dialysis Technologists from the National Kidney Foundation.

This list of educational and informational resources will be continually expanded. Please notify RenalWEB of your suggestions and ideas for this page.

Warning:  Changes should never be made in a patient's treatment or care based solely on the information found here.  Every patient has unique healthcare concerns and considerations and all these factors must all be taken into account before any changes can be safely made.  All medical and therapeutic decisions must come from a qualified health care provider.  Read RenalWEB's Legal Disclaimer before proceeding.

  NEWS
Poorly kept dialysis unit is cleaned up - article from The Arizona Republic - April 11, 2008
Utilization of nanobiotechnology in haemodialysis: mock-dialysis experiments on homocysteine - abstract from Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation - April 8, 2008
FMC loses key dialysis machine patent suit in U.S. - article from Reuters - April 5, 2008
Accelerated Venovenous Hemofiltration: Early Technical and Clinical Experience - abstract from the American Journal of Kidney Diseases - March 26, 2008
Apparent sewage leak to keep DMV office closed for a week - article from 9News - March 26, 2008
A Turn to Alternative Chemicals - article from The New York Times. - March 26, 2008
Wall Street Journal Examines Cost-Reducing Practice of Reusing Some Products - article from Kaiser Network - March 19, 2008
Dialysis news stories from Yahoo!  Continually Updated!
Dialysis news stories from Excite   Continually Updated!
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  WEB RESOURCES
Latest Scientific Journal Articles on Dialysis Technology - list compiled by RenalWEB's Journal Watch
Latest Issue of Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology (BI&T) Journal - The Official Journal of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)
Dictionary of over 70,000 medical, pharmaceutical, biomedical & healthcare acronyms and abbreviations from the MediLexicon web site
Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology Subscription from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) web site (Price Mbr/List: $162/$162)
National Surveillance System for Health Care Workers (NaSH) from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Chemical Reactivity Hazards from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration web site
Chlorine - from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) - September 2006
Designing Devices that Delight from the Medical Devicelink web site - June 2002
E-Health and Connectivity: How to Manage the Inevitable Push toward Device Networking - from the Medical Devicelink web site - April 2003
Eleven Keys to Designing Error-Resistant Medical Devices from the Medical Devicelink web site - May 2002

FDA and Industry Actions on Premarket Notification (510(k)) Submissions: Effect on FDA Review Clock and Performance Assessment - from the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH)
The Fundamental Collection from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) web site (Price Mbr/List: $75/$125)
Healthcare Technology Horizons from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) web site
Inspection of Medical Device Manufacturers - from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration web site - June 2006
Job Safety and Health: It's the Law and Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo ¡Es la Ley! from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration web site
Medical Equipment Symbols & Safety Signs Clip Art Collection from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) web site (Price Mbr/List: $395/$495)
National Surveillance of Dialysis-Associated Diseases in the United States, 2002 (pdf format requires Adobe Acrobat reader) - from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) web site
OSHA Unveils New Webpage for Spanish-Speaking Employers and Workers
Promoting Healthcare Workplace Excellence (pdf format requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) from the Health Care Workforce Policy Advisory Committee Georgia Department of Community Health - spring 2002
Renal Data Extraction and Referencing (RenDER) System - new online data querying application accessible through the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) - USRDS Annual Data Report
TOXMAP - Environmental Health e-Maps from the U.S. National Library of Medicine web site
Using Human Factors Engineering to Improve Patient Safety - Association for Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) web site. (Price Mbr/List: $70/$80)
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  ORGANIZATIONS
American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO) web site
Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) web site
Canadian Association of Nephrology Nurses and Technologists web site
ECRI web site for healthcare technology assessment
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) web site

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) web site,  Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH),  Medical Device Reporting (MDR)

HIT Implementation Testing & Support web site
International Health Care Worker Safety Center (also EPINet™) web site
International Society for Performance Improvement web site
The National Academies web site (National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, National Research Council)
National Association for Nephrology Technicians/Technologists (NANT) web site
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) web site
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) web site
National Kidney Foundation (NKF) web site - NKF Council of Nephrology Nurses and Technicians

National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse web site
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) web site - Topics: Bloodborne Pathogens,  Needlestick Injuries
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  ESSENTIALS AND CLASSICS
AAMI Standards on CD-Dialysis Edition - 2007 AAMI Standards on CD-Dialysis Edition includes every current AAMI standard and guidance document for hemodialysis, valuable guidance from the FDA, CDC, and HICPAC, as well as Code of Federal Regulations and Medicare ESRD information - (Price Mbr/List $195/$325)
AAMI Dialysis Standards Book - (Price Mbr/List $195/$325)
AAMI Dialysis Standards Book/CD Combo (Price Mbr/List $325/$525)
AAMI Dialysis Standards Collection - 2007 Edition - complete collection of current dialysis standards, and technical information reports from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) - (Price Mbr/List $195/$325)
Sterilization in Health Care Facilities, 2006-2007 edition from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (Member Price: $250.00 Nonmember Price: $450.00)

Medical Equipment Management Manual, 2004 (Version 2004 with 2005 updates) How to be in Complete and Continuous Compliance with the JCAHO Standards - (Price Mbr/List $85/$135)

Clinical Engineering Handbook - a comprehensive publication covering issues ranging from accident investigation and radiation therapy to disaster planning and medical device troubleshooting - (Price Mbr/List $110/$145)
AAMI TIR32:2004, Medical device software risk management - provides information for performing effective software risk management in the context of ISO 14971 and AAMI SW68. TIR32 should be regarded as a reference for developing safe software systems to be used in medical devices. - (Price Mbr/List $50/$95) - from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)
Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities from the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report web site
Handbook of Dialysis Fourth Edition by John T Daugirdas MD, Peter G Blake MB, FRCPC, FRCPI, Todd S Ing MD
Book: Review of Hemodialysis for Nurses and Dialysis Personnel by Gutch, Corea, and Stoner from amazon.com
Standardized Training Program for the Patient Care Technician in Hemodialysis - Instructor's Guide © 2000 ($18.00) from the American Nephrology Nurses Association web site
Standardized Training Program for the Patient Care Technician in Hemodialysis - Learner's Guide © 2000 ($28.00) from the American Nephrology Nurses Association web site
ANNA Publications from the American Nephrology Nurses Association web site
NANT Publications from the National Association of Nephrology Technicians/ Technologists web site
Hemodialysis Dose and Adequacy from the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) web site
NLM MEDLINE plus Health Information for Kidneys and Urinary System
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  HEMODIALYSIS MACHINES
AAMI Standards on CD--Sterilization Edition - every AAMI document covering sterilization in health care facilities, sterilization equipment, and industrial sterilization process control is included - (Price Mbr/List $425/$675) - from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)
Medical Equipment Management Manual, with 2005 Update - guidance to clinical engineers, technicians, and other hospital staff to comply with the new 2004 requirements of JCAHO - (Price Mbr/List $85/$135) - from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)
Dialysis Products Technical Services: Equipment Troubleshooting - online hemodialysis machine diagrams and troubleshooting guide from the Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMC) web site
For Manufacturers and CDRH Reviewers - Guidance for the Content of Premarket Notifications for Hemodialysis Delivery Systems from the Food and Drug Administration Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) web site - August 1998/ July 2000
Concentrates for hemodialysis (Price Mbr/List $40/$80) - from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)
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  WATER TREATMENT
Preview Copy of AAMI Guidance Document on Purchasing Water Treatment Equipment for Dialysis - 11-page pdf (pdf format requires Adobe Acrobat reader) from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)
AAMI Dialysis Standards Collection - 2007 Edition - complete collection of current dialysis standards, and technical information reports from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) - (Price Mbr/List $195/$325)
Water treatment equipment for hemodialysis applications 2006 (Member Price: $45.00 Nonmember Price: $90.00)
Dialysate for hemodialysis 2004 (Member Price: $50.00 Nonmember Price: $95.00)
Monitoring Your Dialysis Water Treatment System (pdf format requires Adobe Acrobat reader) from the Northwest Renal Network - June 2005
EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water web site
Water Treatment Articles and Technology Library from the GE Water Technologies web site
Water treatment for home hemodialysis from Home Dialysis Central
For manufacturers - Guidance for the Content of Premarket Notifications for Water Purification Components and Systems for Hemodialysis (pdf format requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) from the FDA web site - February 14, 1998
Boil Water Advisory - (pdf) from the ESRD Network #13 web site
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  REUSE AND REPROCESSING
Sterilants and High Level Disinfectants Cleared by FDA
AAMI Standards for Dialysis - 2006 Edition: Water treatment equipment for hemodialysis applications (Member Price: $45.00 Nonmember Price: $90.00) - from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) web site
Reuse of hemodialyzers - (consolidated text of 2002 edition and March 2003 amendment) (Member Price: $50.00 Nonmember Price: $95.00) - This book can be ordered from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) web site
Glutaraldehyde: CDC Info on Occupational Hazards in Hospitals - May 2001
Glutaraldehyde - from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) - September 2006
Antimicrobial Chemical/Registration Number Indexes from the EPA web site
Renalliance™ Bibliography Service - a concise bibliography which contains the most referenced articles, manuals, and regulatory sources on the key topics of dialysis reuse. Scroll to bottom of their page to see the listings. (From the Minntech web site)
ReNews® is a newsletter about dialyzer reprocessing and related topics published twice yearly by Minntech Renal Systems. Copies of recent issues are available for download as Acrobat PDF files. (From the Minntech web site)
K/DOQI™ Clinical Practice Guidelines for Hemodialysis Adequacy: Hemodialyzer Reprocessing and Reuse from the NKF web site - 2000
A publication "What you should know about dialyzer reuse" (pdf format requires Adobe Acrobat reader) available from the NKF
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  ELECTRONICS
Electrical Safety Manual, 2008: A Comprehensive Guide to Electrical Safety Standards for Healthcare Facilities - Association for Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) web site. Cost is $85 for AAMI members / $135 nonmembers.
Draft Guidance for Industry on Electronic Records; Electronic Signatures, Time Stamps - Availability from the U.S. Department Of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - March 20, 2002
Electromagnetic Compatibility - EMC from the the U.S. Department Of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH)
FDA/CDRH Recommendations for EMC/EMI in Healthcare Facilities from the U.S. Department Of Health and Human Services Centers for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH)
General Principles of Software Validation; Final Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff from the U.S. Department Of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - January 11, 2002
Twisted Pair web site - interactive electronics tutorials (some free, some low cost)
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  PUBMED SEARCHES (National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE Database)
PubMed Search Tool of the National Library Of Medicine's MEDLINE Database (allows you to search through over 11 million indexed articles). Due to copyright laws, only the abstracts (summaries) of the articles are usually listed. Some articles appear in full text on the publishers' web sites that are linked to PubMed. This page provides an Overview of PubMed.
dialysis technician articles   Continually Updated!
dialysis equipment articles   Continually Updated!
water treatment and dialysis articles   Continually Updated!
dialyzer reprocessing -  heat reuse  articles   Continually Updated!
MEDLINE / Pubmed Information from the National Library of Medicine
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  SCHOOLS AND ACCREDITATION
Certification of Nurses and Technicians - news summary from RenalWEB - last updated June 10, 2002
Three Credentialling Programs for Dialysis Technicians/Technologists from the National Association of Nephrology Technicians/Technologists (NANT)
Board of Nephrology Examiners, Inc. Nursing and Technology (BONENT) Examinations are given by Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. (AMP). Fact Sheet on BONENT Examinations.
National Nephrology Certification Organization (NNCO) Certification Examinations in Clinical Nephrology Technology and Biomedical Nephrology Technology are given by the Professional Testing Corporation. Schedule for NNCO Testing.
The Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (NNCC) offers the Certification for Clinical Hemodialysis Technicians (CCHT).
Better Water, Inc. training facility in Smyrna, TN

The Hemodiaysis Training School, located in Union City, CA - a nine-week training class for those interested in working with dialysis patients
Biomedical Electronics Technology A.A.S. Degree  from the Milwaukee Area Technical College  web site 
BMET Study Guide CDROM from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (Member Price: $95.00 Nonmember Price: $125.00)
On-line Continuing Education Program from the National Association of Nephrology Technicians/Technologists (NANT) and Sinclair Community College web site
Body Weight - Body Water (page down to view link) - Free 2 contact hours course from Hemodialysis, Inc.
Ensuring Safe Water for Hemodialysis - (pdf) Mar Cor Purification’s 2008 Training Course for Hemodialysis Water Systems
Onsite Training Seminars and Workshops for Dialysis and other Healthcare Professionals and Video Training Programs by Foster Seminars and Communications
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  K/DOQI™ -  Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative ( pronounced "kay DOE key" )

K/ DOQI Main Page on the National Kidney Foundation web site - Update 2000
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  DISCUSSION FORUMS
Dialysis Technical Forum - Professional Discussion Forum for Technical Issues. Ask questions on water systems, electronics, troubleshooting, reuse, etc.
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  PRODUCTS
Water Treatment Seminars from AmeriWater
Minntech Renal Systems Renalliance™ Program - Support products and services for dialyzer reprocessing programs
Reprocessing Products Corporation
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  UPCOMING EVENTS
Listing of local ESRD Network Annual Meetings
Listing of NKF Local Council Professional Education Meetings and Activities
Listing of Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation Seminars
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  RELATED TOPICS
Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care and Social Service Workers (pdf format requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) from OSHA web site
Biomedical Engineering web sites - Yahoo search
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  INPUT / SUGGESTIONS
E-mail to RenalWEB on the Technician Issues
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