Kidney Replacement Therapy

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1. The kidneys work hard and maintain many physiological functions in the body including: maintaining homeostasis through control of fluid, pH, blood pressure, and electrolyte balance; excretion of end products from metabolism, and foreign substances; production of enzymes and hormones. The kidneys create urine through filtration. 2. Many diseases and factors can contribute to CKD. Diabetes, glomerulonephritis, hypertension, polycystic kidney and even factors such as family history and prolonged use of pain killers all can cause CKD and eventually lead to kidney failure. Diabetic neuropathy is a very common cause of CKD, both type 1 and 2 diabetics are at a higher risk. Individuals with uncontrolled blood sugars are at an even greater risk.…show more content…
Stage 1: kidney damage with a normal or increased GFR ranging from >90 mL/min. A urine sample may show excess creatinine and protein in the urine Stage 2: kidney damage with a mid-decrease in GFR ranging from 60-89 mL/min. A urine sample may show excess serum creatinine and protein in the urine Stage 3: a moderate decrease in GFR ranging from 30-59 mL/min. Patients can experience fatigue, edema, and changes in…show more content…
Kidney replacement therapy is a treatment option for Stage 5 CKD. Hemodialysis is the most common treatment, the type of treatment the patient will receive depends on a number of factors such as cardiovascular disease, age, family support and distance from a dialysis center. Hemodialysis requires patients’ to undergo a procedure that subcutaneously joins the radial artery and cephalic vein in the forearm providing continuous access to the bloodstream. It will take between 4 to 6 weeks for the AVF to become fully functional. An arteriovenous graft will be required if blood vessels in the forearm are inadequate. Blood that is extracted from the body by is run through a dialyzer, where dialysate acts on the blood to remove excess electrolytes and waste. Blood can be returned back to the patient once it has passed through the artificial kidney. Hemodialysis must take place at a dialysis center, about 3 times per week for 4 hours each

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