-
History of Hemodialysis
Thomas Graham, a professor of chemistry as Anderson’s University in Glasgow established the term “dialysis” when he discovered that crystalloids were able to diffuse through vegetable parchment that was coated with albumin. Thus, from this discovery he was able to extract urea from urine. -
Period: to
Milestones of Hemodialysis
-
The Beginning of Hemodialysis
Abel, Rowntree, Turner and other colleague invented the first artificial kidney. Hirudin from leeches was used as an anticoagulant in which animal blood from an arterial cannula passed through the celloidin tubes into a glass jacket that was filled with saline or artificial serum and blood was return into the animal vein through another cannula. -
First Successful Human Dialysis
George Haas performed the first successful human dialysis on a patient with terminal uremia. -
First Artificial Kidney
W J Kolff and H Berk developed the first human hemodialysis machine. The machine was equipped with a rotating drum consist of 30-40metres of cellophane tubing in a fixed 100 litre tank and with such invention, it enables effective hemodialysis treatments. -
During World War 2
1946-1947
Kolff gave away the rotating drum artificial kidney after World War 2 so that other clinicians will be able to familiarize themselves with the machine. However, it was reported to have limited success and people condemned the machine as they deemed the machine to be dangerous and produce no favorable results. -
First Dialysis Machine with Controllable Ultra-filtration
1946- 1948
Nils Alwall constructed the first dialysis machine with controllable ultra-filtration that consists of 10-11 meters of cellophane tubing rapped around a vertical drum. Such device was proved to have successfully treated renal failure in few centers and in Korean War. -
“Twin Coil” Artificial Kidney
Using the principles of Alwall machine, Kolff and Watschinger had created the “twin coil” artificial kidney, which was a modification from a previous invention of “pressure cooker” dialyser developed by Inouye and Engelberg in 1952. -
Hemodialysis Machine in United Kingdom
The use of artificial kidneys were established at the various location where the new Kolff-Travenol twin coil artificial kidney was used at Royal Air Force Renal Unit at Halton, the modified version of Usifroid France was used in Hammersmith Hospital in London and the Kolff-Brigham kidney was used in Leeds General Infirmary to acquire information regarding the design and the operation of the device. Other purpose may include evaluating the value of this form of hemodialysis therapy as well. -
The Development of “Scibner Shunt”
Belding Scribner and colleagues at University of Washington have initiated the use of Hemodialysis to treat patients suffering from chronic renal failure. With the “Scibner Shunt” developed, long-term dialysis was attainable and it is able to prolong the life of patients, allowing them to survive for a longer period in the midst of waiting for a kidney transplant. -
The Introduction of Home Hemodialysis
1961- 1964
Home hemodialysis was initiated to address and alleviate the problem of insufficient facilities available in the hospital. Thus, if relative was able to provide assistance to the patient, the treatment can be carried out in the absence of nurses, doctors within the premises of the hospital. Thus, more patients can be offered with the treatment of hemodialysis. It has also been reported that usage of domestic washing machines to stir the dialysate begun in the hospital of japan. -
Widespread of Viral Hepatitis in United Kingdom
1965- 1969-There was an epidemic of viral hepatitis in United Kingdom. Patients who got infected by Hepatitis were believed to have been infected through blood transfusion from dialysis machines, as there were limited safety features at that time. It has been highlighted that the permanent feature of the dialysis machine, the venous pressure gauge was contaminated by infected blood. Thus causing patients that were connected to the dialysis machine to be infected when those infected blood passed -
Aluminum Toxicity
There was an occurrence of encephalopathy (dementia) and bone diseases in various dialysis units due to aluminum toxicity. Water was treated with aluminum hydroxide and was barely filtered which was absorbed by the human body. This resulted in dialysis patient reportedly suffering from encephalopathy and terrible bone fractures.
