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Dialysis Program

Contact number | 202-476-5531

Children’s National has the only dialysis facility in the Washington, D.C., region dedicated exclusively for infants, children and teens. Our dialysis team is led by our nationally-ranked Division of Nephrology. The Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition (MARC) also distinguished Children’s National dialysis unit as a 5-Diamond Patient Safety Facility.

In a setting specifically designed for young patients, our specially trained nurses provide:

Hemodialysis
Peritoneal dialysis
Home peritoneal dialysis training
Continuous renal replacement therapy

Our nurses are members of the American Nephrology Nurses Association, which demands the highest standards in patient care and knowledge of the latest advances in treatments and therapies. Several nurses achieve additional certifications of either CDN (Certified Dialysis Nurse) or CNN (Certified Nephrology Nurse). Moreover, as nurses at Children’s National, they have an intuitive understanding of the needs of children and their families.

Patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) receive hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis treatments in both inpatient and outpatient settings as needed. The Dialysis Program is a Medicare-approved facility for treatment of chronic kidney failure in children younger than 18 years of age.

In addition, our dialysis unit coordinates dialysis care for children with acute or sudden onset of kidney failure in the Heart and Kidney Unit (HKU) or Intensive Care Units (PICU, CICU, NICU). Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) also is available for patients with acute renal failure, including those on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Kidney Conditions

side by side photo Kaylee Townsley Roxi Vasquez

Kaylee Townsley, a seventh-grader, is 12. Roxi Vasquez, a high school senior, is 18. They live in different towns and attend different schools but became "sisters" as they shared the same kidney transplant experience.

Kaylee and Roxi's Story