WHAT ARE KIDNEYS?
Kidneys are organs located in the abdominal cavity on either side of the lower back. Every person has two kidneys, each one about the size of a human fist.
There are many possible causes of kidney failure including high blood pressure, diabetes, and chronic infections just to name a few. Some are hereditary such as polycystic kidney disease.
Chronic kidney disease or chronic kidney failure is characterized by a gradual loss of kidney function. This disease progresses in 5 distinct stages which are based on eGFR test results. eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) is a measurement of how well your kidneys are functioning. These are the five stages of chronic kidney disease:
Stage 1: eGFR >= 90
Stage 2: eGFR 60-89
Stage 3: eGFR 30-59
Stage 4: 15-29
Stage 5: <15
What happens when kidneys fail?
Your kidneys maintain homeostasis in your body and are a vital part of keeping you alive. When your kidneys fail you will need to start dialysis.
If someone’s kidneys were to fail, they might experience the following side effects:
What can cause kidney failure?
There are many possible causes of kidney failure including high blood pressure, diabetes, and chronic infections just to name a few. Some are hereditary such as polycystic kidney disease.
In order to perform hemodialysis treatment, a vascular access must be made in your arm or leg. Two needles are inserted into your access – one to draw blood from your body into the dialyzer, and another to return the cleansed blood to your body. These needles are removed after each treatment.
PERMANENT VASCULAR ACCESS
There are two types of permanent vascular access:
Whenever possible, a vascular access is placed in the arm that the patient uses least.
Taking Care of Your Vascular Access
TEMPORARY VASCULAR ACCESS
Dialysis patients take many different medications. Your doctor and primary nurse will explain each one to you in detail. Below, you will find a list of some medications along with their respective purposes, methods of administration, and common side effects.
HEPARIN
NOMRAL SALINE
TYLENOL
PHOSPHATE BINDERS
ERTHROPOIETIN STIMULATING AGENTS (ESAs)
VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS
Your medications must be reviewed monthly by your doctor/nurse practitioner and primary nurse. The best way to do this is to bring your medication bottles in for review once a month. At some units, a list of medications may be sufficient. If you have any questions about your medications, ask your doctor/nurse practitioner or primary nurse.
The following tests are ordered by your physician as required. If you have any testing done outside of the dialysis unit, please bring or send copies of your results to the unit.
Here are a few ways to minimize the risk of an infection:
What is dialysis?
Peritoneal Dialysis
Hemodialysis
Kidney Transplantation