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Last Updated 02/21/10
   

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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
Ion-Exchange Resins for the Treatment of Hyperkalemia: Are They Safe and Effective? - Express abstract from JASN. - February 18, 2010
NxStage System One: Saying Goodbye to Headaches - Blog entry by Peter Laird, MD and dialysis patient, from Dialysis from the Sharp End of the Needle. - February 17, 2010
Treatment of severe dialysis reactions with the AN69-ST membrane: biocompatibility does matter - Advance Access abstract from NDT. - February 14, 2010
April 15th Certification Deadline Looming for Patient Care Technicians Who Were Working as of Oct. 2008
Three different certification exams are available:
• Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician (CCHT)
• Certified Hemodialysis Technologist/Technician (CHT)
• Certification Examination in Clinical Nephrology Technology
Class 1 Recall: Edwards Lifesciences Inc., Aquarius Hemodialysis System - Notice from the FDA web site. Baxter International, Inc. is the U.S. distributor of the Aquarius. - February 3, 2010
Class 1 recalls are the most serious type of recall and involve situations in which there is a reasonable probability that use of these products will cause serious adverse health consequences or death. Earlier this month, Baxter sent an Urgent Device Correction notice (2-page pdf) to peritoneal dialysis clinicians to help reduce or eliminate overfill, also referred to as Increased Intraperitonal Volume (IIPV), associated with HomeChoice/HomeChoice PRO cyclers.
FDA Safety Enforcement Report for February 3, 2010 - The list includes several Class I recalls, catheters, power cords, IV pump sets. (Devices begin approximately 60% of the way down the page.) - February 3, 2010
Sioux reservation struggles after winter blast - Article from MSNBC. - February 1, 2010
2009 Researcher's Guide to the USRDS Database - Resource from the United States Renal Data System - 2009
ASN 2009 USRDS: Presentations, Talks, and Posters - 17 links to data presented at the 2009 ASN Annual Meeting - 2009
Dialysis news stories from Yahoo!  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)
Future Horizons - special publication from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) dedicated to examining the future of medical technology and the healthcare profession
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
Exposure to Stress: Occupational Hazards in Hospitals - (pdf) release from the NIOSH/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - July 2008

FDA and Industry Actions on Premarket Notification (510(k)) Submissions: Effect on FDA Review Clock and Performance Assessment - from the FDA Center for Medical Devices
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 2009 Annual Data Report
Sterilants and High Level Disinfectants Cleared by FDA in a 510(k) with General Claims for Processing Reusable Medical Devices from the FDA's Medical Devices - March 2009
TMC Connect - gain access to job vacancies, best practices, Joint Commission guidance, IT resources, biomedical society listings, speakers, school listings, job descriptions, and other important resources.from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) web site
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,  Medical Devices ,  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 Dialysis Standards Collection 2008 Edition - This comprehensive dialysis collection includes EVERY CURRENT AAMI HEMODIALYSIS standard and guidance document; including updates to RD5, RD47, and RD52 - (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)
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, 2006 with 2008 updates - a comprehensive publication covering issues ranging from accident investigation and radiation therapy to disaster planning and medical device troubleshooting - (Price Mbr/List $445/$615)
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 2008 Edition - every AAMI document covering sterilization in health care facilities, sterilization equipment, and industrial sterilization process control is included - (Price Mbr/List $440/$690) - 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 FDA's Medical Devices - August 1998/ July 2000
Concentrates for hemodialysis, 2007 (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 2008 Edition - This comprehensive dialysis collection includes EVERY CURRENT AAMI HEMODIALYSIS standard and guidance document; including updates to RD5, RD47, and RD52 - (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)
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 from the FDA's Medical Devices - May 30, 1997
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
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
Reprocessing of hemodialyzers, 2008 - (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 FDA's Radiation-Emitting Products
FDA/CDRH Recommendations for EMC/EMI in Healthcare Facilities from the FDA's Radiation-Emitting Products
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
NANT Annual Training 2009 - 15 presentations from the National Association of Nephrology Technicians/Technologists 2009 Annual Symposium. - February 10-12, 2009
Certification of Nurses and Technicians - news summary from RenalWEB - last updated June 10, 2002
California Dialysis Council Provides Alternative Pathway for Certificiation for California’s Patient Care Technicians - Exam information and FAQs.
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).
A Career in Biomedical Equipment Technology Brochure (pdf) from the Association for Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) web site
Better Water, Inc. training facility in Smyrna, TN
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)
Body Weight - Body Water (page down to view link) - Free 2 contact hours course from Hemodialysis, Inc.
The Water Solution Package: On-line Water Training & Information Support Site - (pdf) Mar Cor Purification’s Training Course for Hemodialysis Water Systems
Hemodialysis Review Course - from Nephrology Clinical Solutions - Content review for the hemodialysis patient care technician (PCT) preparing for certification examination. - cost: $125.00

The Hemodiaysis Training School, located in Union City, CA - a nine-week training class for those interested in working with dialysis patients
On-line Continuing Education Program from the National Association of Nephrology Technicians/Technologists (NANT) and Sinclair Community College web site
Online courses for Medical Equipment Technology: Application, Support and Management - from the University of Vermont web site
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
March 2-4, 2010 - 2010 Nephrology Technician and Nephrology Technologist (NANT) Annual National Symposium, Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, NV - symposium page, NANT web site, (877) 607-NANT, fax (937) 586-3699, e-mail
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
AAMI 2010 Webinars
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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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