Dialysis Danger Zone

This is a 16-hour online course.

Dialysis patients represent a high-risk population frequently encountered by EMS providers, with complex pathophysiology and a propensity for rapid clinical deterioration. In the United States, more than 500,000 patients receive chronic hemodialysis, and complications such as hyperkalemia, fluid overload, sepsis, and vascular access emergencies contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality. Missed or delayed dialysis can quickly lead to life-threatening conditions, including lethal arrhythmias and respiratory failure, often before laboratory confirmation is available.

 Prehospital providers must be prepared to recognize subtle presentations, interpret clinical patterns without reliance on lab data, and initiate time-critical, evidence-based interventions. This 16-hour continuing education course blends focused lectures, interactive discussions, ECG interpretation workshops, hands-on skill stations, and high-fidelity simulation to prepare EMS clinicians to assess and manage dialysis-related emergencies. Emphasis is placed on clinical decision-making, early recognition of high-risk patients, appropriate treatment strategies, and integration of quality assurance and system-level improvement principles.

1. Describe the pathophysiology of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and explain how dialysis affects fluid, electrolyte, and acid–base balance.
2. Identify high-risk dialysis patients based on clinical presentation, dialysis history, and environmental or situational factors (e.g., missed treatments).
3. Recognize the signs and symptoms of hyperkalemia and correlate ECG changes with increasing potassium levels, while understanding the limitations of ECG sensitivity.
4. Apply evidence-based prehospital management of hyperkalemia, including cardiac membrane stabilization, potassium redistribution, and appropriate destination decision-making.
5. Differentiate between fluid overload and hypovolemia in dialysis patients and implement appropriate management strategies, including the use of CPAP, nitrates, and cautious fluid administration.
6. Recognize and manage vascular access emergencies, including hemorrhage, thrombosis, and infection, while avoiding common iatrogenic complications.
7. Identify atypical presentations of infection and sepsis in dialysis patients and initiate early recognition and treatment strategies in the prehospital setting.
8. Analyze cardiac complications in dialysis patients, including arrhythmias and cardiac arrest, and modify resuscitation strategies to address reversible causes such as hyperkalemia.
9. Develop transport and destination decisions based on patient acuity, dialysis capability, and risk stratification.
10. Conduct quality assurance and quality improvement (QA/QI) reviews of dialysis-related EMS cases to identify common errors and implement system-level improvements.
11. Demonstrate effective team leadership, communication, and clinical decision-making during simulated dialysis emergency scenarios.
12. Integrate dialysis emergency management principles into training and educational programs for EMS personnel.

This course has no requirements.

Price: $70.00 (Course Fee) + $0.00 (Credit Card and Convenience Charge)

Date: Dec 01, 2026

Time: From 12:00 am to 12:00 am

Building: Continuing Education Web Course ( CEWB )

Room: 001

Number of seats available: 24

Section: 42583

All Meetings:

* Meetings may be subject to change

This course meets at the following location:

Online Course