dialysis

/daɪˈæləsəs/

/daɪˈæləsɪs/

Other forms: dialyses

Dialysis is a crucial medical procedure that functions as an artificial kidney, filtering and cleaning the blood for patients with kidney failure. It also describes a process that separates small particles from large particles in a liquid by using a special membrane.

Dialysis has two key meanings. Medically, it’s a life-saving treatment for people whose kidneys can't properly filter their blood: Dialysis uses either a machine or the lining of the abdomen to remove waste and excess fluids. Scientifically, dialysis involves separating different substances in a solution by allowing them to diffuse through semipermeable membranes at varying rates. Dialysis is essential in both healthcare and scientific fields.

Definitions of dialysis

1. noun

   separation of different substances mixed together by passing them through a filter that only one of the substances can get through
   types:

   apheresis, pheresis

   a procedure in which blood is drawn and separated into its components by dialysis; some are retained and the rest are returned to the donor by transfusion

   haemodialysis, hemodialysis

   dialysis of the blood to remove toxic substances or metabolic wastes from the bloodstream; used in the case of kidney failure

   plasmapheresis

   plasma is separated from whole blood and the rest is returned to the donor

   plateletpheresis

   platelets are separated from whole blood and the rest is returned to the donor

   type of:

   chemical analysis, qualitative analysis

   the act of decomposing a substance into its constituent elements
2. noun

   a medical process that filters and purifies blood for kidney patients