Hemodialysis
Hemodialysis is a method used for removal of waste products such as creatinine and urea. It also removes free water from the blood when the kidneys experience renal failure.
Dialysis is a treatment used when there is a severe kidney failure. This kidney failure is also called renal failure, stage 5 chronic kidney disease and also end stage renal disease. When the kidney doesn’t work effectively there occurs a build up of waste products and fluid in the blood. It is at this level that dialysis take over a portion of the function of the failing kidneys. It then removes the fluid and waste.
The Hemodialysis can either be an outpatient or inpatient therapy. The routine Hemodialysis is conducted in a facility for outpatient dialysis. It can either be a room purposely for the Hemodialysis or a stand alone clinic. Dialysis in hospitals is done by specialist or like nurses and technicians; at home it is self initiated or done with a help of trained person.
Effects of some blood values after dialysis
Serum sodium
The sodium serum would increase. This is because the concentration of the sodium component in the dialysis machine is high. Therefore as it works to balance the components of the serum component of the serum will increase.
Serum Potassium
The potassium component will decrease. This is because the concentration of potassium in the dialysis machine is lower than that in the blood serum. Therefore the components component will decrease so as to balance it.
Serum Chloride
The chloride blood value will increase though slightly. This is because the concentration of the blood value of chloride is lower than that in the dialysis machine. So it will have to be balanced.
Serum creatinine
The creatinine value will remain the same. This is because the dialysis machine does not have the component. Therefore it will remain unchanged.
Hematocrit
The hematocrit value will remain the unchanged. Since the dialysis machine does not have the hematocrit component the value at the serum will remain unchanged.
The reason for development of anemia with maintenance dialysis
Anemia is characterized by low count of red blood cells in the blood. The red blood cells are responsible for carrying of oxygen to the body tissues and organs throughout the body which enable them too use the energy from the food eaten by individuals. Anemia may also lead to problems in the heart.
Anemia is common in people who are suffering from problems in their kidneys. Healthy kidneys produce hormones called erythropoietin which leads to the stimulation of the bone marrow to produce the proper number of the red blood cells which is needed for carrying of the red blood cells to the essential organs. When the kidneys are not functioning well due to diseases they don’t produce enough erythropoietin. As a result then the bone marrow does not produce enough red blood cells.
Hemodialysis also leads to anemia due to loss of blood. The process of dialysis causes the blood to decrease in the body system. This therefore makes some essential components in the blood to get lost. These include components like iron and the folic acid in the blood which are useful to prevent the anemic conditions to occur.
When these components are lost it means that the blood is low in what is required for some body functions which a human being can’t live healthily without.
Reason for frequent Hemodialysis for patients with complete renal failure
Hemodialysis is done for about two to three days for ten hours each day for the individuals with complete renal failure. This is because the rate of accumulation of substances in the kidney is high when there kidney mot functioning at all.
If these substances are allowed to stay for longer in the kidney they become toxic and they may lead to the death of the individuals. Also if the dialysis is not done frequently essential body functions like transport of the oxygen through out the body will fail. This is very crucial and if allowed to continue it can even be fatal.
Difference between Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis
Peritoneal dialysis is a treatment for patients with chronic kidney disease. This process makes use of the peritoneum of the patient in the abdomen as the membrane across which the fluids and the dissolved substances are exchanged from the blood. The fluid is introduced through a permanent tube in the abdomen and then flushed out either every night while the patient is sleeping or through regular exchanges throughout the day.
In Hemodialysis the principle used is the diffusion of solutes across a semi permeable membrane. It utilizes the counter current flow where the components of the dialysis machine are flowing in the opposite direction to blood flow in the circuit.
The difference between the peritoneal dialysis and the Hemodialysis is the concepts used but they work to regain the functionality of the kidney.
Reference
Henrich, W.L. (2009). Principles and practice of dialysis 4th Ed. USA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins;
