Dialysis is the process of removing waste and fluid from body and purifying the blood. This artificial process is used for the patients who are suffering from kidney failure. Their kidney does not work properly and is unable to eliminate wastes from body. Then physicians use a dialysis machine for removing wastes and fluids. With this treatment, the equipment of dialysis does the work of kidney.
Kidney is an important part of human body. Its main work is removing extra water, toxins, and waste from the human body. It also maintains the safe level of minerals and chemicals such as magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, etc. This organ also plays a part in the systems of constructing blood cells and bone formation. It can stop functioning mildly or permanently, from various reasons such as injury, chronic disease or renal failure, etc.
The machine, which is used for this process was constructed by a Dutch doctor Dr. Willem Kolff in early 1940s.
There are five types of dialysis:
Hemodialysis – In this process, blood of the patient, suffering from kidney diseases, goes through a machine called dialyzer. This equipment has special filters of synthetic fibers. When blood goes through the filter of machine, a solution also flows through fibers. The useless products are filtered with this procedure and clean blood is returned to the patient of kidney failure.
Peritoneal – In this procedure, the dialysate solution flows through a tube into patient’s abdominal body cavity. It is around the intestine and called peritoneal cavity. The solution is rich in glucose and minerals. Peritoneum is a layer of tissues, which contains blood vessels. In this process, osmosis and diffusion removes the waste products and excess water into dialysate through peritoneum. This procedure uses the natural ability of filtering of peritoneum. It continuous till dialysate gets to equilibrium.
Hemofiltration – In this process, blood flows through hemofilter with a pressure gradient. It removes the waste products of human body. It also replaces the extra water and salt removed from patient during treatment, with a replacement fluid.
Hemodiafiltration – It is a combination of hemodialysis and hemofiltration. In this, few things from both Dialyses are used.
Intestinal – In this treatment, fibers like acacia fiber are used to eliminate useless products from patient.
Hemodialysis, Peritoneal, Hemofiltration types of dialysis are the primary ones while Hemodiafiltration and Intestinal are the secondary types.
At hospitals, professionals perform this procedure on patients after getting proper dialysis training. They are trained for it and work under physicians. They take care of this treatment for the patients, who are suffering from kidney diseases.
The Manhattan Institute's School of Allied Medical and Nursing 