The sweat glands perspire, giving off salt, urea, and water. During kidney failure, sweat glands give off more urea. Bile pigments form during the breakdown of hemoglobin. Glomerular damage can lead to blocked glomeruli, or the glomeruli can become too permeable, allowing blood cells to be passed in the urine. When two-thirds of nephrons cannot function, wastes accumulate in the blood, leading to uremia.
Kidney transplants are successful, especially when the donor is a close relative.
While awaiting a kidney transplant, a patient can undergo one of two types of dialysis. Hemodialysis involves filtering the patient's blood through a semipermeable membrane into dialysis solution. Wastes transfer into the solution, which is removed 4 to 8 hours later.