Haemodialysis and Dialysis


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Haemodialysis and Dialysis

Kidney failure and the Survival Kit - Haemodialysis: The kidneys may be damaged due to infection, injury, diabetes, and extremes of blood pressure. A damaged kidney cannot function efficiently to remove urea, ions, water, etc., from the blood. This malfunctioning results in the accumulation of toxic wastes like urea (uraemia), which can lead to death. One of the ways to treat kidney failure is to use a ‘dialysis machine’ that acts as an artificial kidney. Second way is to get your kidney transplant.

Procedure :

It has a long tubelike structure made of Cellophane suspended in a tank (dialyser) of a fresh dialysis fluid (dialysate). The Cellophane tube is partially permeable and therefore allows solutes to diffuse through. During dialysis, the blood of the patient is withdrawn from an artery and cooled at 0°C. It is maintained in a liquid state by adding an anticoagulant and by other special treatments. It is pumped through the dialysis machine. Here, the nitrogenous waste products from the blood diffuse into the dialysis fluid. The purified blood is then warmed to the body temperature and pumped back into the patient’s body through a vein.

The dialyser is specific for each patient to avoid infections. Dialysis through an artificial kidney has to be carried out at frequent intervals. This process of purification of blood is called haemodialysis.

A dialysis machine works like a kidney except that no selective reabsorption takes place in the former. An artificial kidney:

  • helps remove harmful wastes, extra salts and water.
  • controls blood pressure;
  • maintains the balance of sodium and potassium salts in a patient whose kidneys have failed.
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                                                           Haemodialysis

     

     

    Sample Questions
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    Question : 1

    Kidney failure can be treated by the use of _____________ .

    Right Option : B
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    Explanation
    Question : 2

    The process of purification of blood in which dialysis through an artificial kidney has to be carried out at frequent intervals is called _________________ .

    Right Option : B
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    Explanation
    Question : 3

    During dialyses the artificial kidney maintains the balance of ___________ and __________________ salts in a patient whose kidneys have failed.

    Right Option : A
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    Explanation
     
     
     


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