Kidney failure and treatments

Causes and treatments of kidney failure with strengths and weaknesses of each

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  • Created by: Fay
  • Created on: 07-01-13 16:55
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  • Kidney Failure
    • Causes
      • High blood pressure
        • Capillaries are already under high pressure
          • Higher pressure can damage them and allow proteins etc. through and into the urine
      • Infection
        • Inflammation can damage cells and interfere with filtration and reabsorption
    • Treatments
      • Transplants
        • Implanting a healthy kidney into a patient to replace a failed one
          • Must be donated by someone of the same blood or tissue type
            • Could be a family member willing to survive on one kidney, or an organ donor
        • Weaknesses
          • Major operation - high risks
            • Some patients may not be willing to risk
          • The new organ could be rejected by the immune system
            • Patient must take drugs to suppress it
          • Must be donated by someone of the same blood or tissue type
            • Could be a family member willing to survive on one kidney, or an organ donor
        • Strengths
          • More convenient for the patient than having to attend regular dialysis sessions
          • Cheaper than ongoing dialysis for a long period of time
  • Waste and excess water is passed into the dialysis fluid

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