What is dialysis

You have the right to stop treatment, but it's important to discuss the decision carefully with loved ones as well as your care team. To see how well kidney dialysis is working, your care team can check your weight and blood pressure before and after each session. Regular blood tests, such as those measuring blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels, and other specialized evaluations also help assess the effectiveness of treatment. If your dialysis care team doesn't periodically review your overall situation, ask for a review. These periodic reviews are called care team meetings. At a care team meeting, you, your family or other caregivers can offer input and help your team understand how well treatment is working. Dialysis requires a time commitment. Activities must be scheduled around the dialysis sessions. Dialysis can leave some people feeling "washed out." Worsening health, depression and complications of dialysis may affect how you feel about continuing treatment. If you're frustrated with a specific aspect of your treatment or another medical problem, talk with your care team. Changes to your treatment plan may improve your situation. But you may reach a point when you feel you want to stop kidney dialysis. Before stopping, your care team may recommend talking with a counselor or other mental health professional. This can help you make sure that the decision to stop isn't driven by emotional factors or depression, which can be treated. • Koncicki HM, et al. Kidney p...

• Review Article • 30 July 2020 The current and future landscape of dialysis • ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3319-1224 • ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2633-1636 • ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2833-067X • … • ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0846-3187 Show authors Nature Reviews Nephrology volume 16, pages 573–585 ( 2020) The development of dialysis by early pioneers such as Willem Kolff and Belding Scribner set in motion several dramatic changes in the epidemiology, economics and ethical frameworks for the treatment of kidney failure. However, despite a rapid expansion in the provision of dialysis — particularly haemodialysis and most notably in high-income countries (HICs) — the rate of true patient-centred innovation has slowed. Current trends are particularly concerning from a global perspective: current costs are not sustainable, even for HICs, and globally, most people who develop kidney failure forego treatment, resulting in millions of deaths every year. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new approaches and dialysis modalities that are cost-effective, accessible and offer improved patient outcomes. Nephrology researchers are increasingly engaging with patients to determine their priorities for meaningful outcomes that should be used to measure progress. The overarching message from this engagement is that while patients value longevity, reducing symptom burden and achieving maximal functional and social rehabilitation are prioritized more highly. In response, patients, payo...

Your hemodialysis access, sometimes known as a vascular access, is your lifeline during hemodialysis treatment. During hemodialysis, your access allows blood to safely leave your body through soft tubing and travel to the artificial kidney or dialyzer to be cleaned. Once your blood has been filtered through the dialysis machine, it is safely returned to your body through your access site. When making a treatment plan, you’ll want to make sure you have the safest, most effective type of access for you—and that you care for it properly. A hemodialysis access is necessary for both There are 3 types of hemodialysis access sites: • Fistula • Graft • Hemodialysis catheter Depending on your health, the strength of your veins, and other factors, you and your doctor can decide which type of access is best for you. Hemodialysis is different than peritoneal dialysis, so it’s important to note that each have different When you have stage 4 or stage 5 chronic kidney disease, it’s important to plan ahead to protect your remaining kidney health and feel your best. You will need to schedule your access surgery for fistulas or grafts in advance of your • An arteriovenous (AV) fistula is considered the best choice for hemodialysis—it is made with your own blood vessels, provides optimal blood flow, and has the lowest chance of infection. • To create an AV fistula, sometimes known as a hemodialysis fistula, a surgeon connects one of your arteries to a vein—under the skin of your upper arm or...

A Abdomen The part of the body that contains the internal organs between the pelvis and the chest cavity. Access A means to get into the body. Accesses to the bloodstream for hemodialysis are fistulas, grafts, etc. Access to the peritoneal cavity for peritoneal dialysis is a catheter. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor) Medicine used to treat high blood pressure. ACE inhibitors can also help prevent or slow kidney damage. Acute Rapidly developing; severe; short duration. Acute renal failure A sudden and severe decrease in kidney function that may be short term. Albumin A protein in blood plasma that acts as a carrier and helps to maintain blood volume and blood pressure. Albuminuria A condition in which albumin is present in the urine. There are filters in the kidneys that prevent large molecules, such as albumin, from passing through. If these filters are damaged, albumin passes from the blood into the urine. Albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) A test that compares the amount of albumin in the urine with the amount of creatinine. It is used to detect whether albuminuria is present. Allograft An organ or tissue transplant from one person to another. Alport syndrome An inherited condition that results in kidney disease. It generally develops in childhood and is more serious in boys than in girls. Ambulatory Able to walk; movable. Analgesic-associated kidney disease A condition in which there is a loss of kidney function due to long-term use of analgesic (pain...

Overview What is dialysis? Dialysis is a treatment for people whose kidneys are failing. When you have Who needs dialysis? People who have kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), may need dialysis. Injuries and conditions like Some people develop kidney problems for no known reason. Kidney failure can be a long-term condition, or it can come on suddenly (acute) after a severe illness or injury. This type of kidney failure may go away as you recover. There are five stages of kidney disease. In stage 5 kidney disease, healthcare providers consider you to be in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or kidney failure. At this point, kidneys are carrying out around 10% to 15% of their normal function. You may need dialysis or a What do the kidneys do? Your kidneys are part of your The waste and extra water make urine, which moves from the kidneys into the bladder. Your kidneys also help regulate your Procedure Details What are the types of dialysis? There are two ways to get dialysis: • Hemodialysis. • Peritoneal dialysis. What is hemodialysis? With hemodialysis, a machine removes blood from your body, filters it through a dialyzer (artificial kidney) and returns the cleaned blood to your body. This 3- to 5-hour process may take place in a hospital or a dialysis center three times a week. You can also do hemodialysis at home. You may need at-home treatments four to seven times per week for fewer hours each session. You may choose to do home hemodialysis at night while you s...

Share on Pinterest Dialysis is a lifesaving treatment for people with kidney failure. When you begin dialysis, you may experience side effects such as low blood pressure, mineral imbalances, blood clots, infections, weight gain, and more. Your care team can help you manage most dialysis side effects so they don’t lead to long-term complications. In this article, we’ll explore the side effects of dialysis, including why they happen and how to alleviate them during treatment. Hemodialysis Hemodialysis uses a machine called a hemodialyzer to filter waste from the blood. Before starting hemodialysis, an access port is created somewhere on the body, such as the arm or neck. This access point is then connected to the hemodialyzer, which functions as an artificial kidney to remove the blood, clean it, and filter it back into the body. Peritoneal dialysis Peritoneal dialysis requires surgical placement of an abdominal catheter. The process uses a filtration fluid inside the abdominal cavity to filter and clean the blood. This fluid, called dialysate, is positioned inside the peritoneal cavity and directly absorbs waste from the blood as it circulates. Once the fluid has performed its job, it can be drained and discarded, and the procedure can begin again. Peritoneal dialysis can be done in your home and is sometimes performed overnight while you’re sleeping. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) Continuous renal replacement therapy, also known as hemofiltration, also uses a ...

Overview What is hemodialysis? Hemodialysis is a type of During hemodialysis, a machine removes blood from your body, filters it through an artificial kidney (dialyzer) and then returns the cleaned blood to your body. How does hemodialysis work? The dialyzer is the part of the hemodialysis machine that filters your blood. Your blood flows through tiny mesh tubes inside the dialyzer’s core. Waste products and excess fluids in your blood pass through the mesh tubes into dialysate. Dialysate is a fluid that consists of water, salts and electrolytes. Your filtered blood returns to your body. The dialyzer then disposes of the dialysate, which contains your blood’s waste products and excess fluid. What are the two types of hemodialysis? There are two main types of hemodialysis. Talk to your healthcare provider about what type of hemodialysis is best for you. The main types of hemodialysis include: In-center hemodialysis For this type of hemodialysis, you go to a special healthcare facility that specializes in providing hemodialysis. A hemodialysis nurse or technician performs the procedure. Most people get in-center hemodialysis at least three times per week. Each session takes between three and four hours to complete. Home hemodialysis This type of hemodialysis takes place in your home. Over several weeks or months, your healthcare providers will teach you how to perform hemodialysis and resolve common problems that may develop. You then perform the procedure yourself on your o...

• Dialysis and kidney transplant are both treatments for kidney failure • You don't have to feel "locked in" to any one type of dialysis. There are advantages and disadvantages for each. If you wish to change your current treatment choice, speak to your healthcare professional. • Even if you are already receiving dialysis, it may be possible to have a kidney transplant • When you are on dialysis, it is important for you to: • Come to every dialysis treatment and stay for the entire treatment. • Learn what you can do to keep as much kidney function as you have left - and do it! • Do your part to help manage the complications of kidney disease and kidney failure • Heart and blood vessel problems • Anemia (low red blood cell count) • Bone problems • High blood pressure • Poor nutritional health (i.e. happens when you are not getting enough important nutrients and energy for your body to function and stay healthy) • Manage any other health problems you may have that could cause your condition to get worse, such as diabetes Kidney failure does not happen overnight. In the early stages of kidney disease, there are few, if any, symptoms. Symptoms usually show up late in the process. Kidney failure is the end result of a typically gradual loss of kidney function. The most common causes of kidney failure are diabetes and high blood pressure. Kidney failure happens when: • 85-90% of kidney function is gone • GFR falls below 15 • Kidneys don't work well enough to keep you alive As yo...