kidney failure

• Kidney failure


  When somebody's kidneys suddenly stop working
• Kidney failure


  Waste substances build up in the bloodstream, unable to regulate water and ion levels
• Mild kidney disease can be treated with medication, but kidney failure requires dialysis or kidney transplant
• Dialysis


  1. Blood is connected to dialysis machine

  2. Blood passes through dialysis circuit

  3. Blood comes into contact with dialysis fluid separated by semi-permeable membrane

  4. Dialysis fluid constantly replaced to maintain concentration gradient
• Dialysis


  • Filters patient's blood, removes unwanted substances like excess ions, amino acids, and urea
• Dialysis


  Time-consuming, unpleasant, expensive, and requires continuous treatment
• Kidney transplant


  Surgical procedure to transfer a healthy kidney from one person to a patient in need
• Most donor kidneys come from recently deceased people, but living people can also donate
• Kidney transplant


  Risk of organ rejection by patient's immune system
• Transplants are better and cheaper than dialysis, but there are not enough available organs