15.8 Kidney failure Flashcards
what are the reasons for kidney failure (3)
- kidney infection (podocyte/tubule structure damaged)
- raised blood pressure (damage epithelial cells and basement membrane)
- genetic conditions
what does polycystic kidney disease do
- genetic
- healthy kidney tissue is replied by fluid-filled cysts or damaged by pressure from cysts
what effect does high blood pressure have on the kidney
- protein in urine (basement membrane/podocytes are damaged so can’t filter correctly)
- blood in the urine (filtered incorrectly)
what are the effects of urea and mineral ion conc building up due to kidney failure (6)
- loss of electrolyte balance
- build-up of toxic urea in blood
- high blood pressure
- weakened bones
- pain + stiffness in joints
- anaemia
how does a loss of electrolyte balance happen
- body cannot excrete excess sodium, potassium and chloride ions
- causes osmotic imbalances in tissues
- eventual death
why do bones get weaker if they kidneys fail
calcium/ phosphorus balance is lost in the blood
what causes anaemia
- kidneys produce hormone called erythropoietin which stimulates production of RBCs
- kidney failure = less production of RBCs
- causes tiredness and lethargy
how is GFR used to indicate kidney disease
- blood test measures creatinine
- is a breakdown product of muscles and gives estimated GFR
- high levels indicate kidneys aren’t working properly
what are the units for eGFR
cm3/min
what factors need to be considered when calculating GFR
- decreases steadily with age even if healthy
- men have more muscles mass so more creatinine
what do GFR levels of 60 and 15 indicate
- below 60 for 3 months = chronic kidney disease
- below 15 = kidney failure
what is haemodialysis
blood is removed and passed through a machine containing an artificial dialysis membrane which allows counter-current exchange
explain the process of haemodialysis
- blood leaves from artery into dialysis machine
- flows between a partially permeable dialysis membrane (mimics basement membrane)
- patients lose excess urea and some mineral ions
- dialysis fluid has normal plasma levels of mineral ions so if there is a shortage they move down a conc gradient into the blood
- no urea in dialysis fluid so it goes out of the blood due to steep conc gradient
- countercurrent system as blood and fluid flow in opposite directions
how long does haemodialysis take
- 8 hours
- repeated several times a week
how is the diet controlled for haemodialysis
- diet and fluids are monitored
- can only eat/drink at the start of the process to avoid forming excess urea