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Dialysis is in simple word artificial kidney and it is an important renal replacement therapy which can replace the functions of the failed kidneys to purify the blood. It takes advantage of semipermeable membrane and through diffusion to remove extra metabolic wastes, water and electrolyte out of the body so as to balance the disorders of water, electrolyte and acid-base.
In end stage renal disease, patients will have increased serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and dialysis can help bring these indicators down in a short time and extend the patients’ life expectancy. Usually when blood urea nitrogen is higher than 20mmol/l or serum creatinine is higher than 400mmol/l will dialysis be offered or the wastes and toxins in the body will poison the kidneys and other organs and cause many disorders and imbalances in the body. Dialysis can help discharge excessive accumulated toxins and water out of the body and supply moderate alkali to rectify acidosis.
Though dialysis will definitely lower serum creatinine, it is not an ideal treatment or to be more precise it can not be called a treatment at all. It is true that serum creatinine can be lowered after dialysis, but it is also common that the creatinine will once again increase shortly and patients have to take dialysis once again. So the effect is just temporary. This is because dialysis is just a machine to replace kidneys’ functions without any treatment or reversing of renal damages and renal fibrosis.
And there are some conditions that dialysis can not be used, that is to say not every kidney patient is suitable for dialysis. These contraindications include:
1. Very severe illness conditions, low blood pressure or shock.
2. Serious infections or sepsis.
3. Serious cardiac insufficiency or coronary heart disease.
4. Severe bleeding tendency, cerebral hemorrhage or anemia.
5. Malignant tumors.
