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The Complications Of Kidney Failure

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The Complications of Kidney Failure and How Hemodialysis Works to Fix Them
Katie Sullivan
Professor Manny Rodriguez
CHE102-002
Parkland College
April 2, 2015

Kidney Dialysis
• Kidney failure is deadly disease if not treated immediately.
• When functioning normally, the kidneys clean the blood of waste and other fluids, but when they fail the kidneys can 't clean it. This is where kidney dialysis comes in.
• Kidney dialysis is the method that is used to clean the blood of waste and other fluids.
• Dialysis is often a last resort for people that are undergoing kidney failure.
Possible Complications of Kidney Failure
• Anemia and Erythropoietin (EPO)
– Erythropoietin is produced by the kidneys and is the hormone that regulates the production of red blood cells. The kidneys don’t make enough erythropoietin, so there are fewer blood cells, which can lead to anemia.
• Renal Osteodystrophy
– Since the kidneys can’t regulate the proper chemical levels in the blood during kidney failure, the bones don’t get enough calcium and other chemicals to keep them strong.
• Hyperkalemia
– When the kidneys fail, it runs the risk of high levels of potassium, which can influence many factors that are dangerous.
• Uremic Acidosis
– In kidney failure, toxic waste can build up in the blood, which normally the kidneys would absorb and then filter out if they were functioning normally.
Functions of the Kidneys and an Overview of Hemodialysis
• The kidneys are responsible for removing waste and

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