Also called: hemo
Hemodialysis, often referred to as “hemo,” is a therapeutic procedure designed to purify the blood, eliminate excess fluids, and regulate electrolyte levels, including sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate. During hemodialysis, blood is withdrawn from the body and directed through an artificial kidney or dialyzer. Subsequently, the filtered blood is returned to the patient’s circulatory system. While the average person possesses approximately 10 to 12 pints of blood, hemodialysis only involves a single pint, roughly equivalent to two cups, outside the body at any given time. To perform hemodialysis, a specialized access point must be created to facilitate the transfer of blood to and from the dialyzer.
The dialyzer serves as the cornerstone of hemodialysis, often dubbed the “artificial kidney” because it assumes the blood-filtering role previously fulfilled by the natural kidneys. This dialyzer is a hollow plastic tube, approximately one foot in length and three inches in diameter, housing numerous minuscule filters. It comprises two distinct sections: one for dialysate and the other for blood. A semipermeable membrane separates these two sections, preventing their intermingling. The semipermeable nature of the membrane means it possesses microscopic openings that allow certain substances, such as water and waste, to traverse it while preventing the passage of blood cells.
