Which of the following statements about hemodialysis is TRUE?
A) Blood is removed from the body, wastes are collected in a filter, and blood is then returned to the body.
B) Dialysate is placed in the abdominal cavity, the peritoneum acts as a dialysis membrane, and dialysate is then removed from the abdominal cavity.
C) Dialysate enters the circulation through the venous site of a fistula and leaves through the arterial side of the fistula.
D) Dialysis approximates the physiology of the nephron by placing blood on one side of a semipermeable membrane and dialysate on the other side.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Hemodialysis relies on the principle of diffusion across a semipermeable membrane. Blood is removed from the body, circulated through a machine that filters out waste products and excess fluids, and then returned to the body. The dialyzer (filter) has a semipermeable membrane that separates the blood from the dialysate (fluid with a specific composition of electrolytes and other substances), which mimics the fluid that would normally be filtered by the kidney's nephrons. Therefore, choice D is the correct answer.

Which of the Following Statements About Hemodialysis Is TRUE