What is Kidney Failure?

Summary

Kidney failure occurs when kidneys cease normal function, often due to infections or diseases, leading to the buildup of toxic waste in the blood. Treatment options include dialysis, which cleans the blood using a semi-permeable membrane and regulated fluid, or a kidney transplant offering a better quality of life. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including exercise, weight control, and avoiding harmful substances, can help prevent kidney issues.

Takeaways

• 🚨 Kidney failure occurs when kidneys can't function properly, possibly due to infections or underlying diseases.
• 🧪 Waste products like urea, creatinine, uric acid, and ammonium ions build up in the blood when kidneys fail, which can be toxic and fatal if untreated.
• 🩺 Treatment options for kidney failure include dialysis and kidney transplantation.
• 🌡 Dialysis, or haemodialysis, is a procedure to remove excess salts and nitrogenous wastes from the blood.
• 🔄 During dialysis, blood is passed through a machine that cleans it and then returned to the patient.
• 💉 The dialysis machine uses a semi-permeable cellophane coil and sterile dialysis fluid to facilitate the exchange of materials.
• 🛁 The dialysis fluid is regularly changed to maintain a diffusion gradient and remove wastes effectively.
• ♻️ The cellophane coil in the dialysis machine allows small molecules to pass through but prevents blood cells and large proteins from leaving.
• 💔 Once kidney failure occurs, the chances of natural healing are rare, necessitating ongoing dialysis or a transplant.
• 🏥 Kidney transplantation is a major operation that replaces a failed kidney with a healthy one, offering better quality of life and other benefits.
• 💊 Maintaining kidney health involves staying active, controlling weight and sugar levels, managing blood pressure, avoiding unnecessary medication, not smoking, and maintaining proper fluid intake.

Q & A

What is kidney failure?

Kidney failure occurs when one or both kidneys stop functioning normally, often due to infections, urine elimination issues, or underlying diseases, leading to the accumulation of toxic substances like urea, creatinine, uric acid, and ammonium ions in the blood.

Why is the accumulation of certain substances in the blood dangerous?

The accumulation of substances such as urea, creatinine, uric acid, and ammonium ions is dangerous because they are toxic to the human system and can be fatal if not treated in time.

What are the available treatments for kidney failure?

The treatments for kidney failure are dialysis and kidney transplantation. Dialysis helps to eliminate excess salts and nitrogenous wastes from the blood, while a transplant involves replacing a failed kidney with a healthy one.

What is dialysis and how does it work?

Dialysis, also known as hemodialysis, is a procedure that cleans the blood by eliminating excess salts and nitrogenous wastes. During dialysis, the patient's blood is passed through a dialysis machine that contains a semi-permeable cellophane coil and sterile dialysis fluid, allowing small molecules to pass through and be removed.

What is the role of the cellophane coil in the dialysis machine?

The cellophane coil in the dialysis machine is semi-permeable, allowing small molecules to pass through while preventing blood cells and large proteins from leaving. It provides a large surface area for material exchange between the patient's blood and the dialysis fluid.

How is the dialysis fluid maintained during the procedure?

The dialysis fluid is changed regularly during the procedure to remove wastes and maintain a diffusion gradient between the patient’s blood and the dialysis fluid, ensuring effective waste removal.

What are the components of the dialysis machine?

The dialysis machine consists of a steel tub with a filter filled with a warm fluid set at 37°C, a narrow tubular coil of cellophane with pores, and sterile dialysis fluid containing regulated amounts of dissolved salts and sugars.

Why is kidney transplantation considered a better option than lifelong dialysis?

Kidney transplantation is associated with a better quality of life, lower risk of death, fewer dietary restrictions, and a lower cost of treatment compared to lifelong dialysis, as it replaces the failed kidney with a healthy one.

What are some lifestyle changes that can help maintain kidney health?

To maintain kidney health, one should stay active, maintain a healthy weight, control sugar levels and blood pressure, avoid over-the-counter pills, refrain from smoking, and maintain a healthy fluid intake.

Are there any chances of a kidney healing once it has failed?

Once a kidney fails, there are very rare chances of its healing, which is why dialysis or a kidney transplant is necessary to sustain life.

What is the purpose of the warm fluid in the dialysis machine?

The warm fluid in the dialysis machine is set at 37°C to match the patient's body temperature, ensuring comfort and facilitating the exchange of substances between the blood and the dialysis fluid.