Treatment Of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Tips For New Dialysis Patients
- It’s not the end of the world. You have to only change your lifestyle, you can still enjoy life.
- If your job is physical, you probably felt weak long ago. You’ll feel better now
- If you do intellectual work, your brain is not dead yet
- You can still perform intellectual work.
- Learn everything about how the kidney functions, your disease, and the dialysis.
- Ask questions. What is your blood pressure? Lab values and what do they mean
- Maintain your weight as recommended
- Learn what diet you need to take
- Never miss treatment
Hemodialysis
Hemodialysis is a process by which blood is purified by taking it out of the body with the help of a machine and passing it through a ‘Dialyser’ (Artificial Kidney)
Blood is taken out of the body via a needle (A.V.F). in the dialyser blood and dialyzing fluid flow on either side of a semi-permeable membrane. This removes toxic waste and excess water from the blood. The pureblood is returned to the body.
This process if taking out and putting in the blood continues for 3-4 hours. The dialysis has to be repeated at least 3 times a week.
Preparation of the patient for Hemodialysis:
When a patient has moderately severe renal failure (i.e when the kidney is 80% damaged) plan should be made to do A.V fistula access.
Vascular Access: this means that to receive hemodialysis treatment there must be a way to enter the blood vessels easily at least three times a week. The accesses are:
- Arterio Venus Fistula (A.V.F)
- Jugular Catheter
- Subclavian Catheter
- Femoral Catheter
- Shunt
Last four procedures are done when urgent dialysis is needed. The first procedure is ideal for long term dialysis.
Anterio Venus Fistula (A.V.F)
A fistula is made from sewing two blood vessels together. Two of the blood vessels, an artery and a vein, are connected underneath the skin. It is generally done under local anaesthesia. It takes about 3 to 4 weeks for A.V Fistula to mature before it can be used. This new connection will build a vein with a large flow of blood. This new path for blood is called a fistula. The fistula is placed between the wrist and the elbow of the arm, which you do not use for writing.
Normally the flow of the blood in veins has almost no pressure, but when this new connection is made between the artery and vein this fistula has a flow of blood with pressure. The fistula is used for hemodialysis by placing two needles in different places into the fistula.
The needles have special tubing attached. Blood flows through the other needle and tubing. Patients should take the following precautions for the care of fistula.
- Do not allow blood pressure to be recorded on that arm
- Do not allow blood to be drawn or intravenous injections to be started
- Do not wear a watch or tight clothing with elastic or bands
- Do not sleep on top of your fistula arm
Jugular, Subclavian and Femoral Vein Cannulation
This is a simple procedure and done when a patient needs urgent dialysis and A-V Fistula is not done or not matured. Now days-double lumen catheters are available so that we can do dialysis without any problems. Part of the tube lies in vein and part is outside the skin. It is used only when there is no other means of vascular access available.
Shunt
This type of vascular access is done occasionally for urgent dialysis. In this silastic tube is inserted into the artery and vein and both tubes are secured in place by sutures. When not in use, both tubes are connected with each other so that blood flows continuously through the tubes and prevents from clotting. The shunt can be used immediately for dialysis. The only problem with this frequent clotting and infections in the majority of the patients
Advantages of Hemodialysis:
- It is a treatment provided under the supervision of the professional personnel.
- Treatment is usually 3 times a week.
- Chances of infection are low
- Comparably low cost
With regular dialysis, most patients feel better to a great extent and many patients can be rehabilitated. With recent advances anaemia can be corrected by the injection of erythropoietin and using calcium carbonate with vitamin D3 can minimize bone problems. The patient does not require a major surgical procedure.
The patient has to follow diet, fluid, salt and potassium restriction to a great extent (like avoiding dry fruits, fruits, juices, coconut water)
Even with dialysis patient feels weak due to anaemia. This can be corrected but will involve additional expenses. Traveling also will be restricted due to the need for regular dialysis.
Peritoneal Dialysis
Peritoneal dialysis is a procedure in which one or two litres of dialysis solution is instilled into the abdominal cavity through the peritoneal catheter.
About 4 to 6” of the catheter is in the abdominal cavity while remaining lives outside.
Dialysis solution is instilled into the abdominal cavity and is kept there for some time and subsequently drained out. Diffusion of waste product occurs from the blood passing through the abdominal cavity into the dialysis solution through the peritoneal membrane.
After the fluid is removed fresh solution is instilled again and the procedure is repeated tilt desirable effect is obtained.
In short, we can say that this is another method of removing excess of water and impurities from the blood. It is done with the help of PERITONEUM, which surrounds the intestine and other organs in the stomach area.
Types of peritoneal dialysis Card: (continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis) This is the therapy in which dialysis is done through the peritoneum, manually. Ccpd: (continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis) This is the therapy in which dialysis is done through the peritoneum with the help of a cycled machine. Ipd: (intermittent peritoneal dialysis) This is the therapy which is mostly used to treat acute renal failure when hemodialysis treatment is not possible. Card & Ccpd can be done by the patient himself or by his attendant. The dialysate is introduced and drained through a soft plastic tube (catheter). The time between the filling and draining is the dwell time, in which excess water, urea and other toxic wastes diffuse from blood across the peritoneal membrane into dialysate.
Kidney Transplantation
Kidney Transplantation means placing a kidney from another person (donor) into the patients (recipients) body through major surgery.
After the successful transplant, no life long dialysis treatment is needed. The patient feels better and has more energy to enjoy life. Many restrictions that were imposed during dialysis are lifted.
Nutrition/Diet
For Nutrition/ Diet
For kidney failure patients, diet plays a very important role. All food contains proteins, fat, carbohydrate and minerals in varying proportion.
Please speak to our dietician for a balanced diet for you.
Procedures related to kidney transplantation include: