Dialysis (1.10)

Question 1

What is the main function of the kidney?

Answer 1

It is to maintain homeostasis by controlling the composition and volume of body fluids.

Question 2

Name the 4 things that kidneys do?

Answer 2

Question 3

When does kidney failure occur?

Answer 3

It occurs when the kidney’s stop working properly. If this happens, toxic nitrogenous wastes will not be excreted and the concentrations of the ions, pH and water balance will not be regulated.

Question 4

What is the short term solution to kidney failure?

Answer 4

Cleanse the blood artificially by means of dialysis, using a kidney machine.

Question 5

What is dialysis?

Answer 5

Dialysis is the movement of molecules between two solutions of different compositions down their concentration gradients.

Question 6

How does a kidney machine function? (9)

Answer 6

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of dialysis? (6)

Answer 7

Question 8

What is peritoneal dialysis?

Answer 8

It uses the patient’s peritoneum as the dialyzing membrane.

Question 9

Define peritoneum.

Answer 9

Membrane lining abdominal cavity.

Question 10

It is less ___ than using a kidney machine, but it is more convenient as it can be done at ___.

Answer 10

Efficient

Home

Question 11

What is the long term solution to kidney failure?

Question 12

How the kidneys needed for kidney transplants procured?

Question 13

Why do many recipients never get a kidney? (2)

Answer 13

• The donor does not comply with strict criteria governed by interntaional organ donor guidelines.
• The tissue and blood type of the donor and recipient are not compatible
• No-one has signed agreement for the donor kidney to be transplanted
• The recipient has not had end-stage organ failure, ie. his/her condition is not severe enough

Question 14

What are some of the ethical questions related to transplants? (2)

Answer 14

• Should organs be given to patients who can afford the expensive operation or should everybody have a fair chance of getting the organs?
• Should recipient’s religious and moral opinions be taken into account?

Question 15

What does a kidney transplant involve?

Answer 15

It involves the removal of a healthy kidney from one person (the donor) which is transplanted to another (the recepient). The most importnat part is to connect the new kidney to the renal artery and renal vein of the recipient so that blood can pass through the kidney to be purified.

Question 16

True or false

After a successful transplant, everything is guaranteed to go well.

Answer 16

False, even after a succesful transplant, there is still a chance that the kidney will be rejected. Drugs such as cortisone, help prevent rejection by blocking the body’s immune responses but this increases the risk of infection.