Preface

Hemodialysis (HD) represents the first successful long term substitutive therapy with an artificial organ for severe failure of a vital organ. Because HD was started many decades ago, a book on HD may not appear up-to-date.

Indeed, HD covers many basic and clinical aspects and this book reflects the rapid expansion of new and controversial aspects either in the biotechnological or in the clinical field.

The related topics are multiple because HD includes either biotechnology or multiorgan involvement as well as different pathogenetic factors. Many efforts to reduce dialysis complications and their treatment are made. This book revises new technologies and therapeutic options to improve dialysis treatment of uremic patients.

This book consists of three parts:


The first part includes twelve chapters, five on modeling, water and electrolyte preparation or regulation, four face membranes and biocompatibility, the remaining three deal with procedures or controversies.

Besides important progress in biotechnology, a common and principal aim crossing most of these chapters is the attempt to reduce morbidity by the use of more compatible devices.

Prediction of morbidity or mortality by progress in the laboratory is a principal general topic or aim of the second group of four chapters. These chapters underline the relevance of the residual renal function and of the main laboratory biomarkers to predict cardiovascular complications.

The third part includes seven chapters on clinical complications. The principal topic crossing two chapters is the importance of metabolic disorders for the origin and the development of the most important clinical complications (cardiovascular and bone).

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The remaining five chapters deal with lifestyle aspects (sleep or physical activity) and local (vascular access) or systemic (infections) complications.

Therefore, this book reflects either emergent biotechnological or updated clinical aspects concerning HD. These two topics include suggestions to improve prognosis and therapy of the patients on HD.

The book will help not only general physicians, nephrologists, internists, cardiologists, endocrinologists but also basic researchers, including bioengineers, to approach, understand and manage the principal problems related to HD.

Finally, we consider that we were medical students in the same university hospital in the sixties and successively we worked in the same university hospital department. Our original department of internal medicine specialized in nephrology, under the leadership of the late Prof. Gabriele Monasterio, who first proposed and validated the low protein diet and included teachers who were pioneers in projecting and using the artificial kidney.

Thanks to them, the authors of these book chapters and the publisher, we once more have the pleasure to work together in this project including colleagues from multiple continents.

> **Prof. Angelo Carpi, M.D.,**  Department of Reproduction and Aging, University of Pisa, Italy

> > **Prof. Carlo Donadio, M.D.,** Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy

> > > **Prof. Gianfranco Tramonti, M.D.,**

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy

X Preface

The remaining five chapters deal with lifestyle aspects (sleep or physical activity) and

Therefore, this book reflects either emergent biotechnological or updated clinical aspects concerning HD. These two topics include suggestions to improve prognosis

The book will help not only general physicians, nephrologists, internists, cardiologists, endocrinologists but also basic researchers, including bioengineers, to approach,

Finally, we consider that we were medical students in the same university hospital in the sixties and successively we worked in the same university hospital department. Our original department of internal medicine specialized in nephrology, under the leadership of the late Prof. Gabriele Monasterio, who first proposed and validated the low protein diet and included teachers who were pioneers in projecting and using the

Thanks to them, the authors of these book chapters and the publisher, we once more have the pleasure to work together in this project including colleagues from multiple

Department of Reproduction and Aging, University of Pisa,

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa,

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa,

**Prof. Angelo Carpi, M.D.,** 

**Prof. Carlo Donadio, M.D.,**

**Prof. Gianfranco Tramonti, M.D.,**

Italy

Italy

Italy

local (vascular access) or systemic (infections) complications.

understand and manage the principal problems related to HD.

and therapy of the patients on HD.

artificial kidney.

continents.

**Part 1** 

**Modeling, Methods and Technique**
