How Much Do You Know about Dialysis?
The kidney's main job is to get rid of extra fluid and waste material in your blood. Kidneys harmed by disease, injury, or birth defects lose their filtering ability. This lets dangerous levels of fluid and waste build up. This is known as kidney or renal failure (end-stage renal disease). A person with kidney failure needs dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive. Learn more about dialysis by taking this quiz. It is based on information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
1. Hemodialysis rids your body of harmful wastes. What else does hemodialysis remove?
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Hemodialysis uses a machine to clean and filter your blood. The procedure also helps control blood pressure. And it helps your body keep the proper balance of chemicals like potassium, sodium, calcium, and bicarbonate.
2. What is the filter called that acts as an artificial kidney in hemodialysis?
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During treatment, the blood travels through tubes to the dialyzer. This filters out wastes and extra water. The cleaned blood then flows through another set of tubes back to the body. Before you begin hemodialysis, you will need surgery to create a way to reach the bloodstream. This access point is a way for blood to be carried to and from the dialysis machine without causing discomfort. The access point can be a graft that connects an artery to a vein using a tube. Or it can be a fistula made by connecting an artery directly to a vein. This is often in the forearm.
3. How often must hemodialysis usually be done?
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Each treatment lasts 3 to 5 hours. People undergoing dialysis must stay near the dialyzer. But they can read, watch TV, talk, or sleep during treatment.
4. Where is hemodialysis done?
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Hemodialysis is usually done at a dialysis center with specially trained staff. It also can be done at home, with a partner's help. Both you and your partner need special training.
5. What is a common side effect for hemodialysis?
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These side effects are often caused by rapid changes in the body's water level and chemical balance during a hemodialysis treatment. It often takes several months to adjust to the treatment. To help avoid side effects, you should follow a proper diet, limit liquids, and take any medicines as prescribed.
6. Which dietary mineral must be limited for a person on hemodialysis?
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Kidneys keep minerals in balance by working at it nonstop. When you have dialysis to restore this balance, you must limit the amounts of some minerals. Potassium in the right amount keeps the heart beating at a steady rate. Potassium levels can rise between dialysis treatments and affect the heartbeat. Having too much potassium in your diet can be dangerous, even fatal. This mineral is found in salt substitutes, bananas, oranges, many vegetables, chocolate, and nuts. You must also limit salt (sodium). This is found in many canned, frozen, and prepared foods. Too much sodium can make you thirsty. But if you drink more fluid, your heart has to work harder to pump the fluid through your body. Phosphorus is a mineral found in many foods. It can pull calcium from your bones if too much of it is in your blood. Losing calcium will weaken your bones. This will make them more likely to break. Too much phosphorus also can make your skin itch.
7. Another way to clean the blood is called peritoneal dialysis. Which part of the body acts as a filter for this method?
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The lining is called the peritoneal membrane. It acts as the artificial kidney in this method. A dialysis solution of minerals and sugar enters the belly (abdomen) through a soft tube that has been placed surgically. The sugar (dextrose) draws out wastes, chemicals, and extra water from the tiny blood vessels in the peritoneal membrane. After several hours, the solution is drained back out from the abdomen through the tube. The abdomen is then filled with fresh dialysis solution, and the cycle is repeated. Each cycle is called an exchange. There are 3 types of peritoneal dialysis. One type (continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis) needs no machine and is done several times during the day. Automated peritoneal dialysis uses a machine. It is often done at night while the person sleeps. The third is a combination of the two.
8. What is a common problem with peritoneal dialysis?
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This can happen if the place where the catheter enters the body becomes infected. The infection is called peritonitis. It must be treated right away with antibiotics.
9. How does the diet for someone on peritoneal dialysis differ from the one for hemodialysis?
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The diet for peritoneal dialysis requires more protein. The limits on potassium may be different. And more salt and liquids may be allowed than for a person on hemodialysis. Because of the calories in the dialysis fluid, the number of calories eaten may be more limited. A dietitian who specializes in helping people with kidney failure can help in planning meals.
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