Kidney Transplants Flashcards

1️⃣ Familiarise yourself with the flashcards:

  • Look through all the flashcards to see what's on both sides.
  • Make sure you understand the information on each card. If something's unclear, click the link to the revision notes at the bottom of the page for more details.

2️⃣ Test yourself:

  • Look at the question or prompt on each card and try to remember the answer before flipping it over.
  • Check the answer and make a note of any cards you find challenging and need to go over more.

3️⃣ Consistently Review and Practice:

  • Use spaced repetition: spend more time on the cards you struggle with and go over them more often.
  • Regularly review all the flashcards to help you better understand and retain the information over time.

Note: We may include questions that have multiple correct answers. It's useful to remember specific examples to understand these concepts better.

PERSONALISED 1-TO-1 TUTORING

Need more help on this topic? Get 1-to-1 support

Get support with clear explanations, practice and feedback (Ages 5 to 16).

  • DBS-checked tutors
  • Flexible times
  • Parents can be updated

Want an ad-free experience? Subscribe to remove ads

What is a kidney transplant?

An operation to replace a failed kidney with a healthy donor kidney so it can filter the blood.

Who can donate a kidney?

A deceased person or a living person can donate one kidney.

Why can people live with only one kidney?

One healthy kidney can filter enough blood to keep the body in balance.

What is rejection in a kidney transplant?

The recipient's immune system attacks the donor kidney because it sees it as foreign.

How do doctors reduce the risk of rejection?

They match blood group and tissue type, and give immunosuppressant (anti-rejection) drugs.

Why must transplant patients take immunosuppressant drugs for life?

Without them, the immune system would attack the donor kidney and cause rejection.

What is a main risk of taking immunosuppressant drugs?

They weaken the immune system, so infections are more likely.

Give two advantages of a kidney transplant over dialysis.

More freedom and a more normal diet; often cheaper over time than regular dialysis.

Give two disadvantages of a kidney transplant.

Risk from major surgery and rejection; donor kidneys are scarce so waits can be long.

When might a patient use dialysis instead of a transplant?

While waiting for a suitable kidney, or if they are not fit for surgery.