Kidney Disorders

• Kidney Stones


  Typically form when urine is too concentrated
• Formation of kidney stones

  1. Crystals form

  2. Crystals combine to form stones

  3. Stones get stuck in kidneys, ureter, bladder or urethra
• Stones get stuck


  Causes severe intense pain
• Small kidney stones


  • May pass with aid of fluids, pain medication and muscle relaxants
• Large kidney stones


  • May need to be broken up with sound waves or physically removed during surgery
• Kidney Failure


  When kidneys lose their ability to excrete waste and control the level of fluid in the body
• Too many nephrons damaged

  Kidney transplant is necessary or patient will require regular dialysis treatment
• Dialysis


  Artificial removal of wastes from the blood
• Types of dialysis


  • Peritoneal dialysis
  • Haemodialysis
• Peritoneal Dialysis


  Occurs inside the body using the peritoneum as a membrane across which waste can be removed
• Peritoneal Dialysis


  1. Fluid with similar solute concentration as blood is passed through catheter into abdominal cavity

  2. Wastes in blood diffuse into fluid

  3. Fluid is drained removing wastes from body
• Haemodialysis


  Uses an 'artificial kidney' aka a dialysis machine
• Haemodialysis


  1. Blood is passed into machine where it passes through fine tubes made of differentially permeable membrane

  2. Fluid with similar solute concentration as blood but without wastes is used

  3. Wastes diffuse from blood across membrane into fluid
• Haemodialysis


  • Takes about 4-5 hours and performed three times a week
• Liver Disease


  When liver cannot function, toxins build up
• Causes of liver disease

  • Infection
  • Autoimmune disease
  • Genetic disorders
  • Cancer
  • Lifestyle choices (excessive alcohol, high fat diet)
• Symptoms of liver disease


  • Jaundice
  • Abdominal pains
  • Swelling in legs and feet
  • Dark urine
  • Pale faeces