dialysis

A method of cleaning the blood of waste and maintaining the chemical balance of the blood by either hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis process when the kidneys have failed. Dialysis is a form of diffusion filtration to separate smaller molecular substances from larger molecular substances after end stage renal failure. Dialysis (opposed to transplantation) is the most common form of kidney replacement therapy. There are two forms of dialysis: (1) Hemodialysis, a method in which a person is connected to an artificial kidney blood filtering machine three times a week. (2) Peritoneal dialysis enables people to do dialysis without an artificial kidney filtering machine practically anywhere clean to help reduce chances of germs entering the peritoneum through the tube and catheter causing infection. A special solution of dialysate is run through a tube into the thin tissue that lines the inside of the abdomen (peritoneum) cavity, after several hours the dialysate absorbs the waste from blood circulating in the peritoneum and drained out. The two preferred processes of peritoneal dialysis are the Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) machine-free and done during normal activities in which the dialysate is in the peritoneum 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The cleansing fluid is drained and replaced 3 to 5 times a day. The Continuous Cycling Peritoneal Dialysis (CCPD) uses a machine called a "cycler" to deliver and drain the cleansing fluid usually while asleep.

A method for removing waste from the blood when the kidneys can no longer do the job.

(dye-AL-ih-sis) The process of filtering the blood when the kidneys are not able to cleanse it.

A biochemical technique by which large molecules such as proteins in solution are separated from smaller species such as salts. The technique is based on the properties of certain membrane structures, which selectively only allow the passage of the smaller molecules. A frequently used method for the purification of proteins.