(WXYZ) — In today’s Health Alert, Novi police and health officials are investigating after one patient died and several others became ill following dialysis treatments at a local dialysis center. Authorities are still working to determine exactly what happened.
RELATED: Novi police investigate death, multiple illnesses following dialysis treatments
Dialysis is a life-saving treatment for people whose kidneys are no longer able to do their job. Healthy kidneys continuously remove waste, excess fluid, and toxins from the blood. When the kidneys fail, those substances can build up to dangerous levels.
During hemodialysis, blood is circulated through a machine that acts like an artificial kidney. The machine filters the blood, removing waste products and excess fluid before returning the blood to the body. Most patients receive dialysis three times a week, often for several hours at a time. For many people with kidney failure, dialysis is not optional. It is essential for survival and helps prevent serious complications such as fluid overload, dangerous electrolyte imbalances, and heart problems.
Dialysis is a highly regulated medical treatment that thousands of Americans safely receive every day.
When multiple patients become ill around the same time following treatment, investigators immediately look for possible common factors. It's important to emphasize that we do not yet know what caused the illnesses in this case, and it would be inappropriate to speculate while the investigation is ongoing.
In general, dialysis patients are medically vulnerable and often have multiple chronic health conditions. During treatment, blood is circulating through specialized equipment while fluid and electrolyte levels are carefully managed. That's why patients are closely monitored and why dialysis centers have multiple safety systems in place.
For patients watching today, my message is simple: don't stop your dialysis treatments because of this news. If you have concerns, talk with your nephrologist or dialysis team. Dialysis remains a safe, life-saving treatment, and we'll learn more as investigators determine exactly what happened in Novi.
