Anticoagulation for Hemodialysis: A Hidden Quest to Ensure Safe Dialysis

Haas and Kolff performed the first hemodialysis procedures in patients affected by kidney failure. 1 Haas G Dialysieren des strömendes Blutes am Lebenden. Klin Wochenschr. 1925; 2: 1888 Crossref Scopus (26) Google Scholar , 2 Kolff WJ. First Clinical Experience with the Artificial Kidney. Ann Intern Med. 1965; 62: 608-619 Crossref PubMed Scopus (127) Google Scholar During the pioneering years of hemodialysis, the development of the Scribner shunt that allowed repeated connection of the patient to the extracorporeal dialysis circuit and the discovery of anticoagulant drugs to maintain the patency of the extracorporeal circuit were two major breakthroughs enabling the deployment of chronic hemodialysis. 3 Quinton W Dillard D Scribner BH Cannulation of blood vessels for prolonged hemodialysis. Trans Am Soc Artif Intern Organs. 1960; 6: 104-113 PubMed Google Scholar , 4 Blagg CR. Belding Hibbard Scribner—better known as Scrib. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2010; 5: 2146-2149 Crossref PubMed Scopus (13) Google Scholar , 5 Scribner BH Buri R Caner JE Hegstrom R Burnell JM. The treatment of chronic uremia by means of intermittent hemodialysis: A preliminary report. Trans Am Soc Artif Intern Organs. 1960; 6: 114-122 PubMed Google Scholar