Hospital papers
What Is Hemodialysis? Kidney Dialysis
Hemodialysis · say it: hee-moh-dy-AL-ih-sisAlso written: haemodialysis, HD, kidney dialysis
Short answer
Hemodialysis is a treatment where a machine filters the blood to remove waste and extra fluid when the kidneys cannot do it well enough.
What it means
Hemodialysis is a type of dialysis. Blood is taken out of the body through a needle or tube, passed through a filter in a machine (sometimes called an artificial kidney), and returned clean. It removes waste, extra salt and extra water. It is usually done several times a week, often in a dialysis unit.
Medicine labels mention hemodialysis because the kidneys remove many medicines from the body. In people on hemodialysis, some medicines build up, need a different dose or timing, or are partly removed by the dialysis itself. Labels may say a medicine is 'not removed by hemodialysis' or should be 'given after dialysis'. Overdose sections sometimes say whether hemodialysis can help remove the drug.
Hemodialysis is one type of dialysis. The other main type is peritoneal dialysis, which uses the lining of the belly as the filter instead of a machine.
Where you may see it
- Dosing sections of medicine labels: 'patients on hemodialysis'
- Overdose sections: 'removed by hemodialysis'
- Kidney clinic letters and dialysis unit records
📄 How it looks on a report
Dosage adjustment is required for patients on hemodialysis. Administer after dialysis.
🙅 What it does not mean
- Seeing hemodialysis on a label does not mean the medicine damages kidneys.
- It does not mean you need dialysis; it is information for people who already have it.
- Hemodialysis is not the same as a kidney transplant.
🎯 Check yourself
Which of these is the right meaning of “Hemodialysis”?
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
🧾 Reports where you will see “Hemodialysis”
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💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Hemodialysis”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Acyclovir
An antiviral medicine of the nucleoside analogue type, used against herpesviruses
- Allopurinol
a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, a prescription medicine that acts on uric acid
- Ampicillin Sodium
a penicillin-type antibacterial medicine
- Atenolol
a beta-blocker (beta-adrenergic blocker). The label describes it as a beta 1-selective, or cardioselective, blocking agent.
- Atorvastatin
a statin, a cholesterol-lowering medicine of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor type
- Ceftriaxone
A broad-spectrum cephalosporin antibiotic, as described on the official FDA label
- Cephalexin
a cephalosporin antibacterial medicine (an antibiotic that treats bacterial infections)
- Ciprofloxacin
a fluoroquinolone antibacterial medicine
- Dapagliflozin
a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, a type of diabetes medicine
- Empagliflozin
a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, a prescription medicine that works on sugar handling in the kidneys
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Hemodialysis” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
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