Jeff has learned from his urologist that his kidney disease has progressed to renal failure and that he must include dialysis in his treatment plan. Because you work on the dialysis unit of the hospital, Jeff has asked you to explain how the hemodialysis machine works. He also asks if the unit is portable so that he can use it at home, if necessary. What will you tell Jeff?

When renal failure occurs, it means that the kidneys will no longer be able to filter the blood like they used to. When this happens one can either get a kidney transplant or they can use a Hemodialysis machine.

This machine filters the blood instead by drawing blood via a needle from the patient and then sending it back in after purifying it in the machine. The machine comes with its own risks however such as blood loss.

It is also recommended that a trained medical professional be the one to operate the machine so as to direct it on what to clean and how long the blood should be cleaned for.

There are indeed potable hemodialysis machines that can be used at home but it is recommended that one do it at a medical center because it would be best to have a trained professional on hand if there are issues such as blood loss, loss of consciousness or an inaccurately set time limit.