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Kidney Failure Essay

Decent Essays

Kidney Failure
And
Treatments

By Andrea Sands
6/21/10
Professor Noahleen Betts

The kidneys are important organs in your body to help filter waste. Sometimes organs may fail and cause further problems within your body. There are treatments available for kidney failure including dialysis and a kidney transplant. Both treatments do involve life changes and the patient must stay healthy. It is important to learn about your body and learn the signs and symptoms of when something goes wrong. The kidneys keep your body regulated by maintaining your fluid volume, mineral composition, and acidity. This is done by excreting and reabsorbing water and electrolytes. They keep a balance in sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, …show more content…

The other will allow the blood that is returning to back into the body. Treatments will last anywhere from 2 ½ to 4 ½ hours. Your blood pressure will be check regularly. Your machine will be adjusted to ensure that correct amounts are being removed from your body. You are allowed to relax, read, watch television, do work, or even sleep. The other type of dialysis is called peritoneal dialysis. This requires more work from the patient. The patient must maintain a clean surface on the abdomen in order to help prevent infection. The patient will again weigh themselves to determine the amount of fluid. Then the patient will wear a mask while cleaning the catheter site. Fluid allowed to stay in the peritoneal cavity is drained back into a plastic bag. The patient will then remove the bag and connect a new one. Once the fluid is in the body, the new bag will be rolled up and placed on the patient’s underwear until time for the next treatment. This type of dialysis is more work, more intense, and is required much more. It is done four to five times a day at about 30 minutes each time. There is alternative machine to this called a cycler. It is used every night. Five to six bags are used and the machine will automatically change fluid while the patient is sleeping. Dialysis can make things easier on the patient however it depends on how much help your kidneys need as to which treatment you will need. Sometimes patients will require an entire kidney

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