UCSF Medical Center - Nursing Department

The Outpatient Dialysis Unit

Overview

Outpatient Dialysis at Mount Zion is a hospital-based unit that has 14 dialysis stations. The unit provides hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) treatments to a diversified group of adult patients who have chronic (long-term) kidney failure.

Outpatient Dialysis operates Monday through Saturday, from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. UCSF also operates a nocturnal dialysis program on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Dialysis

Dialysis performs the work of the kidneys by cleansing the blood and removing wastes and excess water. The two types of dialysis are hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. In hemodialysis, the patient's blood is passed through an artificial kidney machine - this procedure is performed in a hospital or similar facility. In peritoneal dialysis, the blood is filtered within the patient's abdomen and the dialysis fluid there is exchanged through a catheter. CAPD (continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis) is a type of peritoneal dialysis that patients can perform at home.

Patient Care

Outpatient Dialysis primarily serves patients with chronic kidney failure - which is known as End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). We treat over 100 ESRD patients on a regular basis, the majority of whom are over 65 years of age. The leading causes of ESRD in the United States are diabetes (about 32% of cases) and high blood pressure (about 25% of cases). Severe high blood pressure causes kidney damage over a relatively short period of time. Even mild high blood pressure over several years can damage kidneys, with no symptoms being evident until severe damage has already occurred. People with ESRD require either dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive. For more information on ESRD, see the National Kidney Foundation website at http://www.kidney.org/

Outpatient Dialysis care at Mount Zion is provided by a team of professionals including nephrologists (physicians specializing in kidney diseases), registered nurse, certified hemodialysis technicians, registered dietician, and a clinical social worker. The unit's goal is to maintain and improve the overall health and quality of life for patients with ESRD. We continuously monitor patient satisfaction and clinical indicators in order to measure and improve the quality of patient care and to maintain our high standards of operation. For more information, see Outpatient Dialysis Nursing.


Home About Us Courses / Education Training Programs Certification Employment News / Events Clinical Care Emergency Medical / Surgical Perioperative Center for Research Home Health Care Links	The Outpatient Dialysis Unit Overview Outpatient Dialysis at Mount Zion is a hospital-based unit that has 14 dialysis stations. The unit provides hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) treatments to a diversified group of adult patients who have chronic (long-term) kidney failure. Outpatient Dialysis operates Monday through Saturday, from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. UCSF also operates a nocturnal dialysis program on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Dialysis Dialysis performs the work of the kidneys by cleansing the blood and removing wastes and excess water. The two types of dialysis are hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. In hemodialysis, the patient's blood is passed through an artificial kidney machine - this procedure is performed in a hospital or similar facility. In peritoneal dialysis, the blood is filtered within the patient's abdomen and the dialysis fluid there is exchanged through a catheter. CAPD (continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis) is a type of peritoneal dialysis that patients can perform at home. Patient Care Outpatient Dialysis primarily serves patients with chronic kidney failure - which is known as End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). We treat over 100 ESRD patients on a regular basis, the majority of whom are over 65 years of age. The leading causes of ESRD in the United States are diabetes (about 32% of cases) and high blood pressure (about 25% of cases). Severe high blood pressure causes kidney damage over a relatively short period of time. Even mild high blood pressure over several years can damage kidneys, with no symptoms being evident until severe damage has already occurred. People with ESRD require either dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive. For more information on ESRD, see the National Kidney Foundation website at http://www.kidney.org/ Outpatient Dialysis care at Mount Zion is provided by a team of professionals including nephrologists (physicians specializing in kidney diseases), registered nurse, certified hemodialysis technicians, registered dietician, and a clinical social worker. The unit's goal is to maintain and improve the overall health and quality of life for patients with ESRD. We continuously monitor patient satisfaction and clinical indicators in order to measure and improve the quality of patient care and to maintain our high standards of operation. For more information, see Outpatient Dialysis Nursing.
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