Dialytician

A dialytician is a nephrologist who focuses on providing dialysis [http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZLIF1AUUC&sub_cat=570] . They are different from most nephrologists in that they will offer dialysis to most patients even when renal replacement may be futile or dialysis may not be indicated. They do not understand many of the elecrolyte abnormalities and do not focus on determining the cause of the acute kidney injury [http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/557627] as most other nephrologists do. Instead, they mostly focus upon enter dialysis orders when other physicians, mostly non-nephrologists, want to start dialysis. Some are quite skilled at placing dialysis catheters as well, being frequently called upon to do so in coagulopathic patients that interventional radiologists do not feel comfortable working upon. Many would call dialyticians a "doctor's doctor" given their high level of expertise and skill compared to most other physicians.

Related Terms

*nephrologist
*nephrology

References