NHCO Phlebotomy Practice Test

Hemodialysis is used to treat end-stage renal failure by replacing kidney function: it filters waste products like urea and creatinine and removes excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys can no longer do this adequately. The process runs the blood through a dialysis machine with a semipermeable membrane and dialysate to cleanse and balance the blood. This treatment is specific to kidney failure and is not used for liver failure, which requires liver-focused therapies, nor as the primary treatment for heart failure. Diabetes can lead to kidney failure requiring dialysis, but dialysis itself does not treat diabetes itself.