Leaders in Care for Renal Failure, Pioneers in Research

The Dialysis Unit, operated through the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, provides comprehensive medical care for your child with end-stage renal disease and acute renal failure, from birth through 21 years of age.

Our nephrology program is ranked top 3 in the nation in the 2024-25 list of Best Children’s Hospitals published by U.S. News & World Report. We are committed to providing the most up-to-date care for kidney disease through active participation in multicenter studies of drug and treatment innovations. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to providing high-quality, patient-centered service in everything we do.

Services provided by the Dialysis Unit include:

• Acute in-patient hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (PD)
• Maintenance outpatient hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, including:
  • Continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD)
  • Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD)
• Training and support services for home PD
• Dietary and social services
• Massage therapy
• Pre-kidney transplant evaluation
• Access to interpreter services
• Transition planning to adult care

Chronic care services for dialysis patients are provided six days a week. Hours are 6 am-4:30 pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 6 am-noon Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Acute care services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Dialysis Unit collaborates with, and provides acute dialysis services as needed, to such areas as:

• General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) 
• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) 
• Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) 
• Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) 
• Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) Program

Our Team

Our skilled medical team uses a multidisciplinary approach to diagnose, treat and manage children with a variety of conditions. Our staff will work closely with your child, your family and other caregivers to develop and implement a comprehensive care plan. Our team includes:

• Pediatric nephrologists
• Registered nurses
• Social workers
• Renal dietitian
• Child life specialist
• Integrative care specialist (massage therapy, holistic health)
• Hospital-based school teachers

A primary physician and nurse will follow the care of each patient and provide education and support for you and your child. A board-certified pediatric nephrology physician assigned to the Dialysis Unit is available from Cincinnati Children's at all times. A pediatric nephrology fellow (a physician who has completed a pediatric residency and is in training to become a pediatric nephrologist) may also be assigned to the Dialysis Unit. These physicians are in charge of day-to-day patient management, but are always supervised by a certified pediatric nephrologist. Each patient is assigned a pediatric nephrology physician as his or her primary physician. Like the primary nurse, this physician is dedicated to long-term management, and will set management goals with the patient and family.

The Dialysis Unit nursing staff includes registered nurses experienced in the dialysis of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. Each patient is assigned a primary nurse who oversees the patient's dialysis management. These nurses are responsible for the actual dialysis procedure and planning management with the patient and family.