Dialysis Handbook 2026

Catch the Pattern Before the Code - Kidney Replacement Therapy From First Referral to Transplant Built for the nephrology fellow who has to read a dialysate trend, catch a failing fistula before it clots, and defend a Life-Plan to a frightened family before the next shift starts, this reference connects the physiology of solute, fluid, and mineral clearance to the decisions made at the bedside - across hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and continuous renal replacement therapy alike. It moves from chronic kidney disease progression and modality selection through vascular access creation and surveillance, intradialytic emergencies, and the systemic complications of long-term dialysis dependence, into the transplant evaluation that reframes the entire trajectory. The Dialysis Recognition & Response System, built into every chapter, turns each complication into a Pattern, a Decision, and a Response Anchor you can apply before a trend becomes a crisis. From First Referral to the Failing Graft, You Will Build the Life-Plan early - trajectory-based modality selection and access timing that heads off an urgent, catheter-based start. Write and defend the prescription - Kt/V, urea kinetics, and citrate-versus-heparin anticoagulation reasoned from first principles, not memorized targets. Catch access failure before thrombosis - cannulation technique and the surveillance trend that flags stenosis while it is still correctable. Sequence the crash response - hypotension, air embolism, hyperkalemic arrhythmia, and cardiac arrest worked into rehearsed, seconds-count protocols. Diagnose peritonitis at the bedside - the two-of-three criteria, empiric therapy, and the exact threshold for catheter removal. Correct anemia and mineral bone disease without overshooting - ESA titration and PTH targets grounded in the trials that reversed earlier practice. Carry the Life-Plan to transplant and back - preemptive listing, perioperative dialysis, and the return to dialysis after graft failure. Keep it beside the machine - the decisions every dialysis patient’s outcome depends on, indexed and ready before the next alarm sounds.