Hemodialysis Treatment

The primary function of the kidneys is to rid the body of wastes. These chemicals may include the byproducts of normal physiologic processes, drugs, and various toxins. When the kidneys malfunction, such substances begin to accumulate. Over time, progressive kidney failure can result in uremia. Unless the condition is reversed, pathophysiological consequences will ensue which may ultimately end in death. Of all the renal replacement therapies, hemodialysis is the most effective. Other therapeutic modalities include hemofiltration, peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplantation. Although these different treatments have their own particular advantages and disadvantages, the majority of patients with kidney failure depend on hemodialysis for their survival.

Kidney failure afflicts all ages and races, and can be caused by several different diseases. In patients with progressive failure, a point is eventually reached whereupon the maintenance of normal physiologic homeostasis requires replacement of renal function (4:23). Uremia is defined as the "retention of waste products, creatine clearance of less than 10 mL/minute, serum creatinine greater than 10 mg/dL, electrolyte imbalance, fluid imbalance, and anemia" (5:9). In addition, patients may suffer from such symptoms as decreased appetite, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and cognitive difficulties. Other problems which can develop prior to total renal failure include

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treatment optionswhile being generally no more effectiveare fraught with different characteristic problems. Perhaps the best evidence that hemodialysis is the best treatment available for renal failure is the large number of people receiving the therapy. Hemodialysis is performed on a global scale. In fact, there are currently over a million hemodialysis patients worldwide (3:107). Within many countries, extensive dialysis programs have been set up (9:654). These may include national dialysis committees which lobby government authorities regarding the needs of dialysis patients. They may also include regional dialysis programs. Such organizations enable the provision of treatment facilities to a vast patient population (9:654656). Another advantage of dialysis is that it is fast: treatments generally require just a few hours, and must only be performed a few times per week. In contrast, because the diffusion of waste and water across the peritoneal membrane is considerably slower, CAPD and CCPD take much more of patients' time. With CAPD, for example, peritoneal dialysis exchanges must be performed four times every day. In addition, although a machine cycles dialysate approximately every 45 minutes during CCPD
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Some common words found in the essay are:
CAPD CCPD, Renal Failure, Data System, RN MSN, FL Medmaster, Social Security, CAVH CAVH, SCUF CAVH, renal failure, SCUF SCUF, Kidney Diseases, peritoneal dialysis, chronic renal failure, chronic renal, kidney transplantation, renal replacement, kidney failure, patients chronic, acute renal, dialysis patients, hemodialysis patients, patients chronic renal, american journal kidney, renal failure patients, journal kidney diseases,
Approximate Word count = 2269
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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