1. BUFFER
SYSTEMS
Bree, Grant, Tyrus

2. THE KIDNEYS
 The kidneys, each about the size of a fist, play three major roles:
 •removing waste products from the body, keeping toxins from
building up in the bloodstream
•producing hormones that control other body functions
•regulating the levels of minerals or electrolytes and fluid in the body
 After the blood has circulated through the body, it passes into the
kidneys. The kidneys filter waste products and excess salt and water
out of the blood, and pass these out of the body as urine. The
kidneys also make hormones that control blood pressure, as well as
maintain bone metabolism and the production of red blood cells. It's
a serious problem when the kidneys stop working. Waste products
that build up in the body cause imbalances in chemicals needed to
keep the body functioning smoothly.

3. KIDNEY DISEASE
 There are many different types of kidney diseases. Kidney diseases
can lead to a condition in which the kidneys fail to work normally.
People with kidney failure need to receive dialysis or a kidney
transplant.
 The most common causes of kidney disease include diabetes, high
blood pressure, and hardening of the arteries. Some kidney diseases
are caused by an inflammation of the kidneys. This may be due to an
infection or to an autoimmune reaction where the body's immune or
defence system attacks and damages the kidneys. Other kidney
diseases, such as polycystic kidney disease are caused by problems
with the shape or size of the kidneys, while other kidney diseases
interfere with the inner workings of the kidneys (metabolic disorders).
Most metabolic kidney disorders are rare, since they need to be
inherited from both parents.

4. KIDNEY DISEASE
 Mild to moderate kidney disease often does not have any symptoms.
However, in ERSD or uremia, when the toxins accumulate in a
person's blood, symptoms may include:
 •puffy eyes, hands, and feet (called edema)
•high blood pressure
•fatigue
•shortness of breath
•loss of appetite
•urine that is cloudy or tea-coloured
Kidney disease usually does not cause pain, but in some cases pain
may occur. A kidney stone in the ureter can cause severe cramping
pain that spreads from the lower back into the groin. The pain
disappears once the stone has moved through the ureter.

5. KIDNEY FAILURE
 Kidney disease can lead to both acute and chronic kidney
failure, both of which can be life-threatening. Acute kidney failure
happens suddenly within hours to days, whereas chronic kidney
failure happens gradually over a period of months to years. Acute
kidney failure can often be reversed if the underlying disease is
treated. In both conditions, the kidneys shut down and can no
longer filter wastes or excess water out of the blood. As a
result, poisons start to build up in the blood and cause some
complications that can affect body systems. Chronic kidney failure
eventually reaches an end stage. This condition occurs when the
kidney is working at less than 10% of full capacity. At this
stage, the person will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to be
able to go on living.

6. PREVENTING KIDNEY FAILURE
 When treating kidney disease, your doctor will try to treat the
original cause. Some kidney infections can be treated with
antibiotics, if the infection is caused by bacteria. Inflammation due
to an immune reaction is more difficult to treat. However, your
doctor will try and control the immune reaction with
immunosuppressant's such as corticosteroids. Some people have
to eat less salt and protein until the kidney can remove these
substances from the blood properly. Taking a diuretic medication
to make the body excrete more water and salt can also help
control the swelling associated with kidney disease.

7. TRANSPLANTS
 Dialysis or transplantation treats end-stage kidney failure. In
hemodialysis, blood is filtered through a tube that's inserted in the
vein. The tube is connected to a machine that cleans the blood of
wastes and the "clean blood" is returned to the body through
another tube. Hemodialysis is usually performed in a hospital in
three 4-hour sessions a week. In peritoneal dialysis, the space
between the abdominal wall and organs is filled with a cleansing
solution that absorbs toxins from the abdominal lining. The
solution is then drained out into a bag. This procedure is done at
home one to four times a day, seven days a week or overnight
using a cycling machine.

8. TRANSPLANTS
 In kidney transplantation, diseased kidneys are replaced with a
healthy one. Kidney transplants usually work at least 80% of the
time. The greatest danger is that the body might reject the
transplant. To prevent this, transplant recipients are given
powerful medications to suppress the immune system; these have
the potential drawback of making one more susceptible to
infections and to some types of cancer. The risks are usually
worth it since the new kidney improves a person's chance for a
normal and health life.

9. HEMODIALYSIS
 In hemodialysis, your blood is allowed to flow, a few ounces at a
time, through a special filter that removes wastes and extra fluids.
The clean blood is then returned to your body. Removing the harmful
wastes and extra salt and fluids helps control your blood pressure
and keep the proper balance of chemicals like potassium and sodium
in your body.
 One of the biggest adjustments you must make when you start
hemodialysis treatments is following a strict schedule. Most patients
go to a clinic-a dialysis center-three times a week for 3 to 5 or more
hours each visit. For example, you may be on a Monday-
Wednesday-Friday schedule or a Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday
schedule. You may be asked to choose a morning, afternoon, or
evening shift, depending on availability and capacity at the dialysis
unit. Your dialysis center will explain your options for scheduling
regular treatments.

10. HEMODIALYSIS
 Researchers are exploring whether shorter daily sessions, or
longer sessions performed overnight while the patient sleeps, are
more effective in removing wastes. Newer dialysis machines
make these alternatives more practical with home dialysis. But the
Federal Government has not yet established a policy to pay for
more than three hemodialysis sessions a week.

11. PERITONEAL DIALYSIS
 In PD, a soft tube called a catheter is used to fill your abdomen
with a cleansing liquid called dialysis solution. The walls of your
abdominal cavity are lined with a membrane called the
peritoneum, which allows waste products and extra fluid to pass
from your blood into the dialysis solution. The solution contains a
sugar called dextrose that will pull wastes and extra fluid into the
abdominal cavity. These wastes and fluid then leave your body
when the dialysis solution is drained. The used
solution, containing wastes and extra fluid, is then thrown away.
The process of draining and filling is called an exchange and
takes about 30 to 40 minutes. The period the dialysis solution is in
your abdomen is called the dwell time. A typical schedule calls for
four exchanges a day, each with a dwell time of 4 to 6 hours.
Different types of PD have different schedules of daily exchanges.

12. PERITONEAL DIALYSIS
 One form of PD, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis
(CAPD), doesn't require a machine. As the word ambulatory
suggests, you can walk around with the dialysis solution in your
abdomen. Another form of PD, continuous cycler-assisted
peritoneal dialysis (CCPD), requires a machine called a cycler to
fill and drain your abdomen, usually while you sleep. CCPD is
also sometimes called automated peritoneal dialysis (APD).