The Renal Unit is a specialized nursing unit of the Philippine General Hospital that focuses on providing comprehensive care to patients with kidney-related conditions and other severe and critical conditions that may require renal support through the Renal Replacement Therapies. The unit caters to a diverse patient population, including individuals with acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), electrolyte imbalances, renal cysts, renal stones, and other renal disorders. Patients may require various levels of care, from routine monitoring to renal replacement therapy such as hemodialysis.

Renal Unit Nurses are trained to provide specialized care tailored to the unique needs of renal patients. This includes proficient assessment and monitoring of renal function, fluid and electrolyte balance, blood pressure management, medication administration (including dialysis-related medications), and management of dialysis access sites. 

The unit often includes dedicated dialysis facilities where patients undergo hemodialysis and other Renal Replacement Therapies. They play a critical role in administering dialysis treatments, monitoring patients during sessions, assessing for complications, and providing education and support to patients and their families. Renal Unit Nurses collaborate with Transplant Nurse to facilitate the HD and renal supports needs in the pre- and post-transplant aspect as well.

Also, patient education is an integral aspect of the care provided in the Renal Unit. They provide comprehensive education to patients and their families on topics such as kidney disease management, dietary restrictions, medication adherence, fluid management, and self-care strategies to optimize renal health and quality of life. Also, they are the resource persons for anything related to kidney health among nursing personnel of the hospital through their various training and education programs.

Often, renal patients experience symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, pruritus, and depression related to their condition or treatment. They provide supportive care, symptom management, and psychosocial support to help patients cope with the physical and psychosocial aspects of living with kidney disease.

Overall, the Renal Unit plays a crucial role in delivering high-quality, patient-centered care to individuals with kidney-related and other conditions. Through their expertise, compassion, and commitment to excellence, nurses in this specialty unit contribute significantly to improving outcomes and enhancing the quality of life for renal patients of the Philippine General Hospital

When the Renal Unit was created, hemodialysis was just in its infancy. The Kolph Machine, a twin coil dialyzer inside a washing machine bath, was the first machine available and was initially reserved only for patients with reversible acute renal failure. The Kolph dialyzer also had to be a primed with two liters of whole compatible blood. In 1965, the first hemodialysis was performed on a female physician( a UP college of Medicine alumna).

The Kiil dialyzer, a three-plate system with two layers of cupophane sheets sandwiched in between the blood ports connected, followed the Kolph dialyzer. The system had to be primed with 500cc of whole compatible blood and had to sterilized for 10 to 12 hours. It was laborious to test for airleaks and rebuild the Kiil dialyzer if leaks were detected. It was not uncommon to find renal consultants spending nights building and re-building Kiil dialyzers just to dialyze patients in renal failure. The donation of two Kiil dialyzers by patients who were eventually transplanted paved the way for the application of hemodialysis for patients with chronic renal failure in the Philippine General Hospital. This was further made easier by the acquisition of the mini-Kiil dialyzer, a smaller version of the Kiil dialyzer that did not need any blood priming and was easier to build. This is the forerunner of the currently used capillary dialyzers. 

The Home of the Hemodialysis Unit from 1975 to 1990 was a small room in the Cancer Institute. This cramped unit housed three Baxter machines utilizing the converter method of dialysis. The HD staff consisted of Ms. Editha Paraiso (nurse), Ms. Flora Tecson (dialysis technician), and Mr. Cesar Imagan (laboratory attendant).

In 1990, when the PGH Central Block became operational, the HD unit was transferred to the second floor, initially occupying a room beside what is now known as the Central Intensive Care Unit (CENICU). The larger space allowed the rental of three additional Drake-Willock units. A brand new B. Braun Secura dialysis machine and a mobile OsmoOrion reverse osmosis machine became available in 1993. In 1994, the HD unit was eventually transferred to its current location in the sixth floor of the left central block (LCB) of the PGH. A lease-to-own contract with B. Braun paved the way for the acquisition and use of 10 Secura dialysis machines. The nursing staff complement was increased to five. A Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) machine, which allows bedside dialysis for hemodynamically unstable critically ill patients, was donated in 1998. Generous donations from the Panasonic Philippines Group and then Senator Manny Villar provided funds for the reconstruction of the new HD unit and the acquisition of 15 new B. Braun Dialog HD machines and a dialyzer reprocessor machine in 2004. Our patients can now enjoy watching television during their hemodialysis sessions. The HD unit is currently staffed by eleven (11) nurses, two (2) medical technologists, one (1) institutional worker, and one (1) nursing aid. The unit now accommodates an average of 30 to 40 dialysis patients per day and can do mobile dialysis (2 machines) in the CENICU and Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU). We also started training nurses from contract care unit to be able to monitor patients undergoing mobile dialysis and to troubleshoot the dialysis machines.