Dialysis & Transplants

Dialysis & Transplants
LO:
State the issues that can occur with the kidneys
Explain how dialysis works
Evaluate the use of kidney transplantation & dialysis
Task:
Complete recap sheet
on how the kidneys
function
WITHOUT LOOKING IN
YOUR BOOKS
Kidney Disease
• Diabetes causes damage to the small
blood vessels in the kidneys. How?
• Over time, high blood sugar from
diabetes can damage blood vessels in
the kidneys as well as nephrons so they
don't work as well as they should.
• Many people with diabetes also develop
high blood pressure, which can damage
kidneys too.
• This destroys the nephrons (filters) and
causes problems due to the build-up of
urea in the blood.
• The filters start to leak out too much
protein into the urine.
Problems with the kidneys
◼ Kidney stones
▪ High salt and minerals in your diet can lead to
stones precipitating out
▪ Extremely painful
▪ Have to be excreted from the body in the urine
◼ Renal damage / failure
▪ The kidney is no longer able to filter the blood
effectively
▪ Plasma not properly reabsorbed
▪ Proteins and cells pass through and are filtered out as well
Living without kidneys
• A person can survive with only 1 kidney
• However, no working kidneys = death (water and ions
not regulated and build up of urea in the body)
Options?
• Dialysis
• Transplantation
Dialysis
• Dialysis is a procedure to remove waste products and excess fluid
from the blood when the kidneys stop working properly.
• It involves diverting blood to a machine to be cleaned.
• Blood and dialysis fluid (different concentrations of molecules) are
separated by a semi-permeable membrane, the molecules move
through the membrane to the lower concentration.
• However, large proteins and blood cells are too big to pass though
the small membrane-pores, so they remain in the blood.
Dialysis
1) Blood is pumped from a vessel in the arm into

the machine
2) Blood thinners (anti-coagulants) are added to
the blood along the way to prevent clotting
3) Within the machine a partially permeable
membrane separates the blood flow from the
dialysis fluid (flowing in the opposite direction)
4) Normal exchange of ions, water and urea
occurs along a concentration gradient
5) Cleaned blood flows through an air detector to
ensure there are no air bubbles before being
pumped back into the patient
Evaluation
Advantages Disadvantages
• Helps patient to reduce toxic levels of • Requires highly specialised and
urea and provides them with clean expensive machinery
blood • Patient must be connected to it at
• Maintains water and ion balance least 2 to 3 times a week
• Ensures that glucose levels remain • Takes between 4-6 hours to complete
constant as well one session
• When not connected to the machine
patients must be very careful with
their diets (control salt and protein
levels)
Dialysis Exam Practice
protein
(protein molecules too) large

cannot pass through filter or can’t leave blood or
can’t pass into kidney tubule / named part
• use of partially permeable membrane or only small molecules
can pass through membrane
• dialysis fluid has ‘ideal’ concentrations of solutes
allow correct named example
• diffusion of waste substances out of blood
accept named example – eg urea
or
waste passes from high to low concentration
• reference to equilibrium (between plasma & dialysis fluid)
protein
molecules too large
most of water reabsorbed, but little urea

restores concentration of dissolved substances,
to normal level,
wastes pass into dialysis fluid
the same (0.35) or slightly below (<0.35),
so that concentration of salts in blood remains constant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoJngYHkbno
https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2019/11/05/cleveland-cli
nic-first-in-the-world-to-perform-robotic-single-port-kidney-tra
nsplant/
Transplantation
• Organ removed from either dead person or living person if not an essential organ
• Organs must be a match to the patient (all organs contain surface proteins known
as antigens that are unique to individuals. If antigens don’t match body will
reject the organ)
• Inserted and connected to patient
• Damaged organs sometimes removed
• Donor organs not always connected into position of old organ

Kidney transplant operation.
Preventing Rejection
1) Immunosuppressant drugs:
- Need to be taken for the rest of their lives (can increase rick to other
diseases)
- Ensure that the body does not cause an immune response against the
donated organ
2) Tissue typing:
- Test organ to see if antigens are as close as possible to the antigens of the
patient
- Can lead to long waits for many patients, in the meantime they need to
undergo dialysis
MOST DONOR KIDNEYS WILL ONLY SURVIVE FOR AN AVERAGE OF
8-9 YEARS BEFORE THE PATIENT REQUIRES ANOTHER TRANSPLANT
OR DIALYSIS
Transplant or Dialysis?
Need to know at least two pros and cons for
both
Pros and Cons of Kidney Transplants…..
Pros
+ Can lead a relatively normal life
+ Patient does not have to spend time weekly in the hospital (as is
needed for dialysis)
Cons
- Tissue match is required if not kidneys are rejected
- Expensive operation (for the NHS)
- Immunosuppressant drugs taken for the rest of their life (increased
risk of other diseases)
- Donor kidneys do not last long (10-15years)
Advantages of kidney transplant
• no need for regular / long hospital visits or is a Disadvantages of kidney transplant
long-term solution • may be rejected
• flexible lifestyle, such as can go on holidays • have to keep taking anti-rejection
• may not live near a hospital or reference to drugs or immunosuppressants
transport costs • (suitable) donor may not be available or need for
• no risk of infection from frequent needles / tissue matching
treatment • risk from surgery (e.g. anaesthesia or infection)
• less / no need to control diet • recovery from surgery will take a long time
• maintains correct concentration of substances • does not last forever (therefore further surgery
in blood / body needed)
• cheaper long term for NHS / hospital

Dialysis & Transplants

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Dialysis & Transplants

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Dialysis & Transplants

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Dialysis & Transplants

1) Blood is pumped from a vessel in the arm into

(protein molecules too) large

molecules too large

most of water reabsorbed, but little urea

• Inserted and connected to patient

• Damaged organs sometimes removed

• Donor organs not always connected into position of old organ

You might also like