Dialysis

Clinical Nutrition
Lesson 30: Renal disease

Dialysis

Dialysis is a type of renal replacement therapy which is used to provide an artificial replacement for lost kidney function due to renal failure. It is a life support treatment and does not treat any kidney diseases. Dialysis may be used for very sick patients who have suddenly lost their kidney function (acute renal failure) or for quite stable patients who have permanently lost their kidney function (end stage renal failure).

Dialysis is an imperfect treatment to replace kidney function because it does not correct the endocrine functions of the kidney. Dialysis treatments replace some of these functions through diffusion (waste removal) and ultra filtration (fluid removal).

Index
Previous
Home
Next
Last modified: Monday, 7 November 2011, 5:58 AM