Understanding Water for the Dialysis Patient

The hemodialysis process requires an amount of water that far exceeds the amount of water consumed by the average person. For the normal person, their gastrointestinal system helps to protect them from water contaminants, in dialysis, only a thin semi permeable membrane separates the patient from the water exposing the patient to dangerous levels of water contaminants. Because of this more direct water exposure; dialysis water is carefully purified and monitored to protect the patient.  “Dialysis patients are vulnerable to water exposure as demonstrated in 1996 by the death of 50 patients after exposure to water contaminated by high levels of microcystin in a dialysis center using unfiltered water for dialysis.”  (World Health Organization 2008.)

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