the husband has a question...

[VictoriaG]

it's kinda silly but he wonders what would happen if you dialyzed a healthy person. its a good question... kinda 

[okarol]

You'd get arrested?

Nah, bloodwise I don't think it would do much, but if they removed fluid it would make the person sick, possibly cramping, nauseated, dizzy, low BP - not good.

[gothiclovemonkey]

lol ifthey were drunk it would make them not drunk
I actually wondered this myself, when i first started, because i was having sooo much trouble. I thought FOR SURE they were wrong, and the dialysis was making me sick! lol
Of course, I know that isnt true, but it was a thought.

[RichardMEL]

interesting question. Logically if no fluid was taken off, I think nothing much would happen. As I understand it the general process in the dialyzer is that the chemicals in the bicarb solution attract the bad ones(ie: toxins, like potassium, calcium etc) out of the blood as it passes through the membrane which bind with the solution and it's thrown away. If the blood passing through is pretty clear of toxins(because the kidneys are doing their job) then there's nothing to be attracted out of the blood, so it would just pass through. Maybe if you ate a big block of chocolate while on it might help a little.... 

I do agree trying to take fluid from a healthy person would not be a good idea.

[Nephrologista]

I have dialyzed people with functioning kidneys to remove certain poisons, such as antifreeze.  You all are correct, we don't remove fluid.  Also, the phosphorus, which is so hard for many dialysis patients to get down, can go dangerously low, so if it's a long dialysis, I will add phosphorus to the dialysate.  And I have the pharmacy mix up a K4 bath so as not to depress the potassium.  IV calcium might also be needed since standard dialysate is a little lower than normal blood values.  But with those tweaks, it does what we need it to do.

[MooseMom]

I have dialyzed people with functioning kidneys to remove certain poisons, such as antifreeze.  You all are correct, we don't remove fluid.  Also, the phosphorus, which is so hard for many dialysis patients to get down, can go dangerously low, so if it's a long dialysis, I will add phosphorus to the dialysate.  And I have the pharmacy mix up a K4 bath so as not to depress the potassium.  IV calcium might also be needed since standard dialysate is a little lower than normal blood values.  But with those tweaks, it does what we need it to do.

That's so cool...it's great having you on IHD!  I really look forward to your participation on so many topics!  Thanks so much for joining!

[mogee]

I knew a man who was given dialysis experimentally for the treatment of schizophrenia.  I don't think it did a thing for him, except disfigure his arm with a massive pseudoaneurysm.