Dialysis Technician Careers

Dialysis Technician Careers and End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)

Kidneys. We all have them, but not everyone knows what they do. The kidneys play a very important role in the body’s renal system. They filter blood; remove waste; regulate pressure, acidity and mineral composition; and make red blood cells.

Unfortunately, not all kidneys are equal, and some perform better than others. Kidney functioning is generally measured by glomerular filtration rate (GFR), a synthesis of multiple factors such as waste creatine levels in blood, age, and gender. There are five stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) which can be distinguished by measuring GFR. From the normal to high levels of >90 ml/min in stage 1 to the minimal levels in stage 5 of <15 ml/min, GFR is the best way to measure kidney functioning and determine what stage of CKD a patient is in.

Stage 5 CKD is also called end stage renal disease, or ESRD. When ESRD develops, the patient needs a kidney transplant or dialysis to live.

Kidney Transplants

Transplantation is an arduous and often expensive process with long waiting lists. That is why many patients opt for dialysis as a solution for their ESRD.

Dialysis

Dialysis is a process through which the blood is filtered artificially. In hemodialysis, it is done with a machine called a dialyzer.

Dialysis Technician Careers

To operate dialyzers and aid patients through the dialysis process, dialysis technicians are required. According to a 2013 report by the U.S. Renal Data System, the number of patients diagnosed with ESRD increases by 5% every year. With more than 660,000 Americans being treated for kidney failure, and less than a third of those with functioning kidney transplants, the demand for dialysis technologists is large and getting larger fast.

Midwestern Career College’s Dialysis Technologist Training Program is a BONENT-approved training program that prepares students for engaging careers in hemodialysis. Alumni can go on to work in hospitals, dialysis centers, and even cruise ships and travel clinics. Interested in learning more about dialysis? Call (312) 236-9000 or email admissions@mccollege.edu and set up a campus visit today!