5.2.8: Kidney failure Flashcards
What will kidney failure rapidly lead to death?
Because the kidneys will no longer be able to regulate the levels of water and electrolytes (substances that form charged particles in the water) in the body or to remove waste products such as urea from the blood. This will rapidly lead to death.
How can kidney function can be assessed?
-By estimating the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and by analysing the urine for substances such as proteins.
What do Proteins in the urine indicate
-The filtration mechanism has been damaged.
What is the GFR is a measure of?
-How much fluid has passed into the nephrons each minute.
What is a normal GFR reading?
-In the range 90-120 cm3min-1.
What does a figure below 60cm3min-1 indicate?
-That there may be some form of chronic kidney disease.
What does a figure below 15cm3min-1 indicate?
-Kidney failure and a need for immediate medical attention.
What are the possible causes of kidney failure?
-Diabetes mellitus (both type 1 and 2 sugar diabetes) -Heart disease -Hypertension -Infection
What are the main treatments for kidney failure?
-Renal dialysis. (most common) -kidney transplant.
How are waste products, excess fluid and mineral ions are removed from the blood in renal dialysis?
-By passing it over a partially permeable dialysis membrane that allows the exchange of substances between the blood and dialysis fluid.
What does the dialysis fluid contain?
-The correct concentrations of mineral ions, urea, water and other substances found in the blood plasma.
How does renal dialysis regulate the levels of water and electrolytes in the blood?
-Any substances in excess in the blood diffuse across the membrane into the dialysis fluid. -Any substances that are too low in concentration diffuse into the blood from the dialysis fluid.
What are the two types of renal dialysis?
-Haemodialysis -Peritoneal dialysis (PD)
Describe the process of Haemodialysis.
- Blood from an artery or vein is passed into a machine that contains an artificial dialysis membrane shaped to form many artificial capillaries.
- The artificial capillaries are surrounded by dialysis fluid, which flows over in the opposite direction to the blood.
- Any bubbles are removed before the blood is returned to the body via a vein.
- Haemodialysis is usually performed at a clinic two or three times a week for several hours at each session. Some patients learn to carry it out a home.
Why is the dialysis membrane shaped to form many artificial capillaries? (haemodialysis)
-Increases the surface area for exchange.