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-Kidney Problem Page-

1. Choose one of the problems described below.
2. Prepare your solution as a word document.
3. Send it to your professor as an email attachment. You will receive an email response.

Problem #1:A man loses function in both his kidneys due to an inherited condition called polycystic kidney disease. In this condition the normal kidney architecture of nephrons, collecting tubules, and vasculature tissue is gradually replaced (often over several decades) by nonfunctional fluid-filled spaces called cysts.The man is kept alive by hemodialysis while awaiting a kidney transplant. Utilize the Internet or other sources to answer the following questions:

1. Is polycystic kidney disease a dominant or recessive trait?
2. What is the BUN? How does the BUN change as polycystic kidney disease progresses?
3. What are the symptoms of kidney failure? In this answer, discuss the following terms: acidosis, hyperkalemia, edema, azotemia, and uremia.
4. What is hemodialysis and how does it work?
5. How often must hemodialysis be performed to keep an individual healthy?
6. Can one be on hemodialysis indefinitely?

Problem #2: The individual in the above problem receives a kidney transplant from their spouse.
Utilize the Internet or other sources to answer the following questions:

1. What is the meaning of the terms: autograft, heterograft, xenograft?
2. What type of graft would it be if a kidney is obtained from a spouse?
3. Are the nonfunctioning kidneys removed before the new kidney is transplanted?
4. What is the location where the new kidney is grafted into the recipient's body?
5. Why must immunosuppressive drugs be used when transplants of this type are carried out?
6. How long must the recipient take such immunosuppressive drugs?
7. What is the current success rate of renal transplants in terms of 3-year survival? 5-year survival? 10-year survival?
8. What are the dietary precautions (if any) that must be followed after a kidney transplant?
9. What lifestyle restrictions exist after a renal transplant?

Email your Professor at firstname.lastname@kbcc.cuny.edu