Dialysis, Kidney Health Article

Normal results

Puffiness in the patient related to edema, or fluid retention, may be relieved after dialysis treatment. The patient's overall sense of physical well-being may also be improved. Because dialysis is an ongoing treatment process for many patients, a baseline for normalcy can be difficult to gauge.

BOOKS

Bock, G. H., E. J. Ruley, and M. P. Moore. A Parent's Guide to Kidney Disorders. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1993.

Cameron, J. S. Kidney Failure: The Facts. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Lazarus, J. Michael, and Raymond M. Hakim. "Medical Aspects of Hemodialysis." In The Kidney, ed. Barry M. Brenner and Floyd C. Rector Jr. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Co., 1991.

National Kidney Foundation. Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiatives (NOQI). Vol. 1-5. New York: National Kidney Foundation, 1997.

Nissenson, Allen R., and Richard N. Fine, eds. Dialysis Therapy. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Hanley & Belfus, Inc., 1993.

Nolph, Karl D. "Peritoneal Dialysis." In The Kidney, ed. Barry M. Brenner and Floyd C. Rector Jr. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Co., 1991.

U.S. Renal Data System. USRDS 1997 Annual Data Report. Bethesda, MD: The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 1996.

PERIODICALS

Degroot, Patricia J., Sally Rubens Kenler, and Johanna T. Dwyer. "Optimizing Dialysis: Past, Present, and Future." Nutrition Today 32 (Jan/Feb. 1997): 30-6.

"Dialysis: Need for Artificial Kidney Treatment Is Increasing." Mayo Clinic Health Letter, 15 (Feb. 1997): 1-4.

Favero, Martin S. "Infection Control." Dialysis and Transplantation 25 (Oct. 1996): 699-702.

Friedman, Elia A. "End-Stage Renal Disease Therapy: An American Success Story." The Journal of the American Medical Association 275 (Apr. 1996): 1118-22.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Association of Kidney Patients. 100 S. Ashley Dr., #280, Tampa, FL 33602. (800) 749-2257. <http://www.aakp.org>.

American Kidney Fund. 6110 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20852. (800) 638-8299. <http://216.248.130.102/Default.htm>.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Building 31, Room 9A04, 31 Center Drive, MSC 2560, Bethesda, MD 208792-2560. (301) 496-3583. <http://www.niddk.nih.gov>.

National Kidney Foundation. 30 East 33rd St., New York, NY 10016. (800) 622-9010. <http://www.kidney.org>.

United States Renal Data System (USRDS). The University of Michigan, 315 W. Huron, Suite 240, Ann Arbor, MI 48103.(734) 998-6611. <http://www.med.umich.edu/usrds>.

Paula Anne Ford-Martin

KEY TERMS

Access site—The vein tapped for vascular access in hemodialysis treatments. For patients with temporary treatment needs, access to the bloodstream is gained by inserting a catheter into the subclavian vein near the patient's collarbone. Patients in long-term dialysis require stronger, more durable access sites, called fistulas or grafts, that are surgically-created.

Dialysate—A chemical bath used in dialysis to draw fluids and toxins out of the bloodstream and supply electrolytes and other chemicals to the bloodstream.

Dialysis prescription—The general parameters of dialysis treatment that vary according to each patient's individual needs. Treatment length, type of dialyzer and dialysate used, and rate of ultrafiltration are all part of the dialysis prescription.

Dialyzer—An artificial kidney usually composed of hollow fiber that is used in hemodialysis to eliminate waste products from the blood and remove excess fluids from the bloodstream.

Erythropoietin—A hormone produced by the kidneys that stimulates the production of red blood cells by bone marrow.

ESRD—End-stage renal disease; chronic or permanent kidney failure.

Extracorporeal circuit (ECC)—The path the hemodialysis patient's blood takes outside of the body. It typically consists of plastic tubing, a hemodialysis machine, and a dialyzer.

Hematocrit (Hct) level—A measure of red blood cells.

Peritoneum—The abdominal cavity; the peritoneum acts as a blood filter in peritoneal dialysis.