Topic 5 Kidney Failure Flashcards
What happens if the kidneys don’t work properly
Waste substances build up in the blood and you lose the ability to control the levels of ions and water in your body which will eventually cause death
What can people who’s kidneys have failed be kept alive by
Dialysis treatment - where machines do the job of the kidney
Having a kidney transplant
Why does dialysis have to be done regularly
To keep the concentrations of dissolved substances in the blood at normal levels and remove waste substances
What does the blood flow between in a dialysis machine
Between partially permeable membranes surrounded by dialysis fluid
It is permeable to things like ions and waste substances but not big molecules like proteins
What does the dialysis fluid have the same concentration as in healthy blood
Dissolved ions and glucose
What can diffuse across the barrier
Waste substances such as urea and excess ions and water
How often should a person with kidney failure use a dialysis machine
3 times a week
Each sessions 3-4 hours long
What can dialysis cause
Blood clots or infections
Why isn’t being on a dialysis good
Expensive for the NHS to run
Why are dialysis machines good
Can by a patient with kidney failure valuable time until a donor organ is found
What is the only cure for kidney failure
Kidney transplant
When are healthy kidneys usually transplanted
From people who have died suddenly
What must a person who has died have to be an organ donor
Has to be on the organ donor register or carry a donor card
Who else can kidneys be transplanted from
People who are still alive but there is still a small risk to the person donating the kidney
What risks are there of having a donor kidney
Could be rejected by the patients immune system. The patient is treated with drugs for this but it can still happen
