Kidney infection

• Reasons for kidney failure:

  • Kidney infections
  • Raised blood pressure
  • Genetic conditions
• Results of infection or high blood pressure:

  • Protein in the urine
  • Blood in the urine
• Complete failure of the kidney:

  • Loss of electrolyte balance
  • Build-up of toxic urea in the blood
  • High blood pressure
  • Weakened bones
  • Pain and stiffness in joints
  • Anaemia
• Loss of electrolyte balance - Body cannot excrete excess sodium, potassium, and chloride ions - Osmotic imbalances in tissue - Tissue death
• Build of toxic urea in the blood - Cannot get rid of urea and can poison cells
• Anaemia - Reduce production of red blood cells - Tiredness and lethargy
• Treatment of kidney failure:

  • Renal dialysis - Haemodialysis + peritoneal dialysis
  • Transplant
• Process of haemodialysis:

  1. Blood leaves from an artery into the machine
  2. Between partially permeable dialysis membranes - Mimic basement membranes of Bowman's capsule
• What is lost during H dialysis:

  Excess urea

  Mineral ions that have built up in the blood
• Control of glucose during H dialysis:

  Machine - Contains normal levels of dialysis - No net movement of glucose out of the blood
• Control of plasma during H dialysis:

  • Machine - Normal plasma levels of mineral ions - Excess move out via diffusion DOWN a concentration gradient
  • Restoration of dialysis fluid
• Control of urea during H dialysis:

  Machine - contains no urea - steep diffusion gradient from the blood to fluid

  Mass movement of urea
• Movement of blood in H dialysis:

  Blood and dialysis fluid flow in opposite directions - Maintain a counter current exchange system + Maximise exchange
• Process of peritoneal dialysis:

  1. Dialysis fluid is introduced into the abdomen with a catheter
  2. Left for several hours
  3. Fluid is drained off and discarded
• Peritoneal dialysis:

  Takes place across peritoneal membranes - Urea and excess mineral ion pass out of capillaries into tissue fluid - Peritoneal membranes - Dialysis fluid
• Kidney transplant:

  Blood vessels are joined + utterer of the kidney inserted into the bladder
• Main problem of transplant:

  • Risk of rejection - Antigens diff from donor and recipient - Recognised from immune system
  • Immune system can reject and destroy new kidney
• Reduce rejection risk in transplant:

  • Close match of antigens
  • Immunosuppressant drugs for rest of their lives
• Role of immunosuppressant drugs - Prevent rejection of organ
• Disadvantage of immunosuppressant drugs:

  Prevent effective responses to infectious diseases