dialysis
artificially filtering the blood when kidneys fail
In more detail
a medical treatment in which a machine filters waste products and excess water from the blood when the kidneys no longer work properly
Examples
- My grandfather needs dialysis three times a week because his kidneys are failing.
How to use dialysis
Dialysis is a clinical term used in medical contexts to describe a life-sustaining treatment for kidney failure. It is the standard term in both medical and general discussion of this procedure, appearing frequently in patient education, hospital settings, and conversations about chronic kidney disease. Unlike informal substitutes, dialysis is precise and universally understood among healthcare professionals and informed patients.
Common phrases
- undergo dialysis
- on dialysis
- dialysis treatment
- dialysis patient
- dialysis machine
- dialysis session
Synonyms
renal replacement therapy · blood filtration · artificial kidney treatment
Word family
dialyse/dialyze (verb) · dialysate (noun) · dialyzer (noun)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse dialysis with similar-sounding medical terms like diagnosis or dialects; they may also use the verb form 'dialyse/dialyze' incorrectly by forgetting it requires the patient as the subject rather than the machine.
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