Kidney failure Flashcards
What happens if someone’s kidneys stop working?
There are two treatments.
What two treatments are there if someone’s kidneys stop working?
- Regular dialysis.
- Transplant.
What do the kidneys do?
They remove waste substances from the blood.
What happens if the kidneys don’t work properly?
Waste substances build up in the blood.
What happens when the kidneys don’t work properly causing waste substances to build up in the blood?
You lose your ability to control the levels of ions and water in your body. This eventually results in death.
What problems can you get if the kidneys don’t work properly?
Problems in the
- Heart
- Bones.
- Nervous system.
- Stomach.
- Mouth
- Etc.
What do dialysis machines do?
They filter the blood (do the job of the kidneys).
When does dialysis have to be done?
Regularly.
Why does dialysis have to be done regularly?
To keep the concentration of dissolved substances in the blood at normal levels, and to remove waste substances.
How does a dialysis machine work?
The person’s blood flows into the dialysis machine alongside a selectively permeable barrier, surrounded by dialysis fluid, then back into the person.
Why does a dialysis machine contain a permeable barrier which is selective?
Because it’s permeable to things like waste substances (e.g. urea) and excess ions and water, but not to big molecules like proteins (just like the membranes in the kidneys).
What does the dialysis fluid which surrounds the selectively permeable barrier in a dialysis machine have?
It has the same concentration of dissolved ions and glucose as healthy blood.
What does the dialysis fluid having the same concentration of dissolved ions and glucose as healthy blood mean?
That useful dissolved ions and glucose won’t be lost from the blood during dialysis.
What are the downsides of dialysis?
- Many patients with kidney failure have to have dialysis sessions three times a week, which each take 3-4 hours.
- Dialysis may cause blood clots or infections.
What is the only cure for kidney disease at the moment?
To have a kidney transplant.