Kidney disease, dialysis, and the pros and cons for each dialysis access
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Abstract
The kidney is an organ that plays a major role in the homeostasis of the body. The kidney has several roles such as fluid management, electrolyte balance, vitamin D production, blood pressure control, removal of wastes, red blood cell production, and pH balance. Damage to the kidney can result in severe comorbidities and even mortality. Currently, kidney disease affects over 800 million individuals today (United States Renal Data System, 2022). One of the primary methods to treat kidney disease is using dialysis as a form of renal replacement. The two current dialysis modalities are peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. The purpose of this thesis is to establish a background in the kidney, kidney disease, and dialysis. With this background, this thesis aims to present the advantages and disadvantages of each of the three dialysis access: arteriovenous grafts, arteriovenous fistulas, and central venous catheters. By exploring the creation methods, dialysis use, and patient perspective, this thesis has demonstrated that arteriovenous fistulas are the supreme access. However, arteriovenous grafts and central venous catheters provide important alternatives and should not be ignored.