[Dialysis therapy--indications and technical bases].

Technical improvement in both, hemo- and peritoneal dialysis, has made these methods extremely safe and efficient. With an increasing number of patients entering a dialysis program for end-stage renal disease, the number of long-term dialysis patients, who will not receive a transplant for various reasons, will also increase. Modern dialysis treatment must not only keep the patient alive but has to allow for as much individual and social rehabilitation as possible. Indication, timing and predialysis preparations must be in the nephrologist's hands. However, for most patients the family's physician has been a partner and adviser during many years of a chronic disease. Therefore, he should be familiar with principles and practice of modern dialysis treatment. It is the aim of this paper to outline some basic principles of the most common dialysis modalities used today and to consider their pros and cons with respect to the patient's individual situation.