Dialysis is needed when a person's kidneys are in end stage renal failure, which is when the kidney is only functioning at 10 to 15 percent of normal capacity. Dialysis serves as a substitute for the functions that kidneys provide by removing wastes from the blood, ensuring the balance of vital chemicals in the body and by regulating blood pressure. There are two types of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
Hemodialysis uses an artificial kidney known as a hemodialyzer to clean the blood outside of the body. To perform hemodialysis, a physician must remove the blood from the body by accessing a vein. This is usually completed by accessing a vein in the arm or leg. The vein is than connected through tubing to the hemodialyzer, which draws the blood from the body and passes it through a series of filters to remove wastes, chemicals and extra fluid that have built up in the body. Hemodialysis is usually needed three times a week and lasts 4 to 5 hours per treatment. The amount of time needed for this treatment depends on the person's kidney function, the amount of extra fluids and wastes within the body, the body mass of the patient and what type of hemodialyzer is used.
Peritoneal dialysis cleans the blood within the body of the patient. An abdominal catheter is inserted into the body in a surgical procedure. To perform peritoneal dialysis, the abdominal cavity is filled with a fluid through the catheter called dialysate. As this fluid enters the abdomen, it encounters the arteries and veins that line the abdomen and slowly draws out waste and chemicals from the bloodstream and into the dialysate. Two methods of peritoneal dialysis are primarily used today. Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis can be done in the home by the patient without the assistance of a medical professional. After a catheter has been permanently inserted into the abdomen, the patient uses bags of dialysate to fill their abdominal cavity. This fluid remains in the body for 4 to 5 hours and then is removed through the same catheter that was used to insert the fluid into the body. This method allows the patient to perform normal daily activities while the dialysate is in their body.Continuous Cycling Peritoneal Dialysis can also be completed in the home by the patient. This method uses a machine called a cycler. The cycler runs dialysate into and out of the body a number of times in cycles. A cycle may last up to 2 hours and can be performed while the patient is sleeping.
Tags: into body, abdominal cavity, accessing vein, blood from, blood from body, from body, home patient