Hemodialysis is a medical treatment that removes waste products from the blood of people with kidney failure. Blood is passed through a filter and an artificial kidney, with waste products removed by a specially formulated fluid. Hemodialysis can be done in an emergency or long-term, and may have side effects.
Hemodialysis is a medical treatment in which blood is removed from the body and passed through a filter to remove waste products before being returned to the body. This treatment is commonly used to treat people suffering from kidney failure, as the kidneys normally perform this function. Depending on the patient and situation, hemodialysis can be done emergency or long-term, and for some long-term patients, it is possible to receive hemodialysis at home.
The hemodialysis process involves several steps. First, a needle is inserted into the patient. Then, her blood flows into a dialyzer, a medical device also known as an artificial kidney. As it passes through the dialyser, an anticoagulant is added to the blood to ensure that it does not clot.
Once the blood is inside the dialyzer, it flows through an assortment of tubes made from a semipermeable material. The tubes are surrounded by a container filled with a fluid known as dialysate. The dialysate is specially formulated for the patient. As blood passes through the tubes of the artificial kidney, metabolic waste products and other impurities are swept across the artificial membrane by the dialysate. The waste fluid from the container is disposed of or cleaned and recycled, while the cleaned blood is returned to the body through another needle.
In emergency hemodialysis, the goal is to get the patient stable as quickly as possible, and needles are usually inserted into the most convenient sites. For long-term hemodialysis treatment, surgeons can make an arteriovenous graft, which increases the volume of the dialysis, or they can insert an artificial graft. An access point can also be connected to the site to facilitate patient hookup to a hemodialysis machine.
Patients may be prescribed several sessions of hemodialysis per week to compensate for their renal insufficiency, either as a long-term therapeutic approach or as a suspension until a suitable kidney is available for transplantation. Hemodialysis can also be used to treat patients suffering from kidney failure as a medical complication.
Hemodialysis has a number of side effects that should be discussed with a doctor or medical technician. Because hemodialysis often involves removing wastewater, as people with kidney failure urinate less, this can sometimes cause temporary health effects that people should be prepared for, such as low blood pressure, fatigue, and headaches.
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