What are kidney diseases?
Kidney diseases are a group of conditions that damage kidneys and prevent them from functioning correctly. Diabetes, high BP, or genetic disorders like polycystic kidney disease may cause kidney diseases. A patient with kidney disease will no longer be able to effectively filter waste out of blood, leading to serious medical problems.
- Blood in urine
- Weight loss without trying
- Sudden swelling in lower legs
- Frequent urination at night
- Diabetes.
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Heart disease and/or heart failure.
- Obesity.
- Over the age of 60.
- Family history of CKD or kidney failure.
- Personal history of acute kidney injury (AKI)
- Smoking and/or use of tobacco products.
- High blood pressure medications.
- Medications to relieve swelling.
- Medications to treat anaemia.
- Medications to lower cholesterol levels.
- Medications to protect your bones.
- A lower protein diet to minimize waste products in your blood.
- Dialysis
Dialysis artificially removes waste products and extra fluid from your blood when your kidneys can no longer do this. In haemodialysis, a machine filters waste and excess fluids from your blood.
In peritoneal dialysis, a thin tube inserted into your abdomen fills your abdominal cavity with a dialysis solution that absorbs waste and excess fluids. After a time, the dialysis solution drains from your body, carrying the waste with it. - Kidney transplant
A kidney transplant involves surgically placing a healthy kidney from a donor into your body. Transplanted kidneys can come from deceased or living donors.
After a transplant, you’ll need to take medications for the rest of your life to keep your body from rejecting the new organ. You don’t need to be on dialysis to have a kidney transplant.
Critical Care Nephrology
Critical Care Nephrology is a multidisciplinary effort to treat Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). AKI is a severe disease that can lead to long-term kidney damage.
When an individual suffers from AKI, blood pressure drops significantly, leading to decreased kidney oxygenation. AKI can be fatal if left untreated.
AKI has many causes: sepsis, trauma, heart failure or renal disease are just some of the many ways that someone can suffer from this condition.