Dialysis Flashcards
What is dialysis used for? (2)
- Removing toxins from the blood which build up in end stage kidney disease (ESKD) (blood to dialysate)
- Allowing the infusion of bicarbonate into the blood (dialysate to blood)
Dialysis is considered to be a ‘stop-gap’ until transplantation. T/F?
True
for patients who are suitable for transplant
By what 3 mechanisms are molecules exchanged between the blood and the dialysate?
Diffusion
Convection
Adsorption
Describe how diffusion works when referring to dialysis
Molecules move from the solution with their higher concentration to the solution with their lower concentration gradient across the semi-permeable membrane of filaments within the dialyser
What 3 factors affect solute diffusion between the blood and the dialysate?
- Solute concentration gradient
- Molecular weight of solute
- Permeability of the membrane of the filaments in the dialysate
Ultrafiltration is important for convection. What is ultrafiltration?
Ultrafiltration is the movement of water from the blood to the dialysate by setting up a pressure gradient for water i.e., water pressure is -ve in the dialysate so that water moves into it from the blood
Describe how convection works when referring to dialysis, making reference to ultrafiltration
Water is removed from the blood by ultrafiltration, taking it across the semi-permeable membrane and into the dialysate
Convection refers to the removal of solutes (e.g., urea, K+, Na+) dissolved in the water as it moves out in the ultrafiltrate along the pressure gradient of water
What 3 factors affect solute movement between the blood and the dialysate by convection?
- Water volume and flow rate
- Water pressure gradient (hydrostatic pressure)
- Permeability of the filament membranes
- Molecular size, shape, and charge of the solute
- Viscosity of the fluid within the membrane pores
Describe how adsorption works when referring to dialysis
Plasma proteins, and any solutes that are bound to them, can bind to specific polymers in the membrane of the dialysis filaments
Therefore, membrane binding removes these protein-bound solutes from the bloodstream
What is meant by a ‘high-flux membrane’?
A synthetic dialysis membrane which has a high ultrafiltration coefficient
Are protein-bound solutes adsorbed better by high or low-flux membranes?
High-flux membranes
What are the 3 main types of dialysis?
Haemodialysis (HD)
Haemodiafiltration (HDF)
Peritoneal dialysis (PD)
Which of the following mechanisms does haemodialysis rely most heavily on?
Diffusion
Convection
Adsorption
Diffusion
In haemodialysis, what substances travel from…
-The patient’s blood to the dialysate
-The dialysate to the patient’s blood
?
Patient’s blood to the dialysate:
- Urea
- Creatinine
- Na+
- K+
- Other toxins
Dialysate to the patient’s blood:
- HCO3-
- Glucose
What is the standard flow rate of dialysate in haemodialysis?
Therefore, how much dialysate is required in a 4 hr treatment cycle?
500ml/min
120L in a 4 hr treatment
Different dialysate concentrations are available. They differ mainly in their concentration of…? Why?
K+ ions
Depending on patients K+ levels and risk of hyperkalaemia
Which of the following mechanisms does haemodiafiltration rely most heavily on?
Diffusion
Convection
Adsorption
Convection
What is the main difference between haemodialysis and haemodiafiltration?
In haemodialysis, solutes are removed from the patients blood by diffusion, down the concentration gradient of the solute
In haemodifiltration, solutes and water are removed from the patients blood by convection, down the pressure gradient of water created by the ultrafiltrate
Haemodiafiltration requires the delivery of ‘re-infusate’ into the patient’s bloodstream. What is re-infusate and why is it required?
Re-infusate = a replacement fluid which is delivered directly back into the circulation of a patient on haemodiafiltration
It is required because a large volume of water is removed from the patient’s bloodstream to drive ultrafiltration (convective water-solute drag)
High volume haemodiafiltration is defined as HDF requiring a re-infusate volume of ? litres per HDF session
> 21
this means that >21 litres of body fluid have been removed from the patient and replaced by infusate
What are the advantages of using haemodiafiltration over haemodialysis? (5)
- The solute drag which comes with ultrafiltration allows more solute to be removed from the blood, as the pressure gradient can pull larger solute molecules from the bloodstream into the dialysate
- Patients experience less symptoms with treatment than when on HD
- Recovery time is quicker
- Chance of survival is improved
- Benefits are achieved at a similar cost to HD
What is the ‘basic’/’minimum’ prescription for haemodialysis/haemodiafiltration treatment?
4 hour session 3x per week
Give a pro and a con for increasing dialysis treatment regime to > 4 hours 3x per week?
Pro: Treatment is more efficient (as real kidneys function 24/7) and therefore survival may be improved
Con: Quality of life is negatively impacted