Frequently Asked Questions
What do nephrologists do?
A nephrologist is a doctor who specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease. Kidneys are essential for the body's appropriate fluid and electrolyte balance.
Do nephrologists treat kidney stones?
While nephrologists can treat minor kidney stones that pass through the urinary tract and give drugs to help avoid stones, most patients benefit from a urologist's surgical skills, especially if they have recurrent or big, complex kidney stones.
What does crossmatch kidney transplantation mean?
A serum crossmatch is a blood test that both you and the donor will have several times, including just before the transplant. The donor's cells are combined with your serum to perform the test.
What is a kidney swap transplant?
When a living kidney donor is incompatible with the receiver, a paired kidney exchange, often known as a "kidney swap," occurs, the kidneys are swapped with another donor/recipient pair. This means that two live donor transplants would take place at the same time.
What is the most common cause of acute kidney injury?
Acute kidney injury is caused by a decrease in blood flow to the kidneys, which usually occurs in someone who is already sick with other health problems. Low blood volume after bleeding, heavy vomiting, and dehydration can all induce diminished blood flow.
What are the four stages of chronic kidney disease?
Staging of chronic kidney disease are:
- Blood or protein in the urine
- High blood pressure
- Swelling of the ankles or face
- Frequent urination
- Nausea and vomiting
What is the difference between hemodialysis and dialysis?
Dialysis is a process that aids in the filtering of blood through the use of a machine that functions as an artificial kidney.
Hemodialysis is a process in which the entire blood is circulated outside the body in a machine called a dialyzer that is put outside the body.
What is the difference between hemofiltration and hemodiafiltration?
Hemofiltration (HF) relies mostly on convection, whereas hemodiafiltration (HDF) incorporates both convection and diffusion. Convection is the movement of solutes and solvents in response to a pressure gradient.
What is plasmapheresis and when is it done?
Plasmapheresis is the procedure that is done to exchange the plasma present in the blood with a fresh plasma substitute or plasma from a donor. Plasmapheresis is used for the treatment of various autoimmune disorders:
- Myasthenia gravis
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
- Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome
