Dialysis water, the lifeline for patients undergoing haemodialysis, plays a crucial role in the treatment. Unlike the tap water we drink, dialysis water must be 100% pure to effectively clean the blood when the kidneys fail to function.
Dialysis water is an electrolyte solution with a concentration close to the plasma. It might contain sodium, chloride, lactate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, glucose, amino acids, and icodextrin.
The Contaminants and Their Effects on Health
In most cases, the focus is only on high-end hemodialysis machines rather than on the quality of water used in dialysis. The types of contaminants present in the water and their significance to health –
- Aluminium- It can cause encephalopathy, bone disease and anaemia.
- Calcium or magnesium- These minerals can cause hard water syndrome and hypertension.
- Chloramines- They cause hemolysis, anaemia, methemoglobinemia
- Copper- It causes hemolysis and hepatitis
- Fluoride- it causes bone disease and osteomalacia
- Nitrates- They cause methemoglobinemia, cyanosis and hypotension
- Sulphates- they cause metabolic acidosis
- Microbials cause pyrogenic reactions in the body, such as hypotension, shock, and chronic SIR.
Why Treating Dialysis Water Is So Vital?
Hemodialysis is the medical procedure where the dialysis water is transferred to the bodies of patients with permanent kidney function. This technique keeps the body fluids in check by controlling the pH of the patient’s body. Haemodialysis can save a patient’s life.
But just think, if the treated water is already infected, it can cause lots of issues by activating monocytes in the patient’s bloodstream. Dialysis patients are exposed to 30 times more water. Hence, it is very important to test it to prevent unknown elements and contaminants from being carried in the water and transferred to the patients. It is also very important to treat this dialysis water for quality assurance.
AAMI standards are considered best for dialysis water testing, and they help to address-
- Purification devices and processes to prepare concentrates and dialysate.
- The apparatus for storing and distributing the water
- Water pollutants, bacterial cell counts and endotoxins have permissible and action threshold amounts.
Arivation Healthcare Pvt. Ltd is an ecosystem addressing niche healthcare gaps in diagnostics and hemodialysis. We are the leading Dialysis Products Manufacturer in India, providing the best dialysis products. Contact us for further details.
