Dialysis: Kidney Failure Treatment
Kidney failure treatment is necessary when a patient has undergone a renal failure and their kidney no longer performs its natural functions. This kidney failure treatment typically consists of medication, diet changes and dialysis. Dialysis is a procedure which artificially performs some of the blood filtration functions of a healthy kidney.
Kidney Failure Treatment Basics
When healthy, kidneys perform several tasks necessary to maintain human life. The first of these important tasks is to filter out potentially toxic products of amino acid breakdown from the blood. Urea and creatinine are among the most important of these chemicals. Another important function that the kidney performs is the regulating of blood pH levels and keeping them in a normal range.
Additionally, healthy kidneys maintain a normal electrolyte balance in the body and regulate the water level in the blood. Lastly, healthy kidney function helps control blood pressure. Kidney dialysis treatment performs some of these functions artificially, by circulating the blood through a semipermeable membrane to filter out toxins.Depending on the type and cause of the kidney damage, this procedure may need to be performed inside or outside of the patients body.
In peritoneal dialysis, this membrane is inside the patients abdomen. Dialyzing fluid is placed via a catheter inside the peritoneal cavity, then drained after four or five hours. In hemodialysis, the filtration occurs in a machine outside the body. Patients typically must undergo hemodialysis three or four times a week for up to five hours. In many cases, this kidney failure treatment maintains the patients health and allows them to live a fairly normal and healthy life.