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Overview
Kidney Failure: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects
What is the treatment?
Kidneys are two organs in the shape of beans that are placed in the lower back region of the human body. Kidneys are responsible for the elimination of toxic elements from the body during the process of urination. Kidney failure is the condition where the kidney is incapable of removing these toxins from the blood effectively. The factors that can play into damaging your kidneys are; exposure to toxic elements present in the environment or in medications; either acute or chronic illness; trauma posed to the kidneys, and a severe form of dehydration.
The symptoms that come with renal or kidney failure are confusion, feeling nauseous, fatigue or tiredness, seizures, a state of coma, lowered desire to urinate, swellings of body parts, pain or ache in the chest region and shortness of breath. Kidney failure or damage can be brought on about by heart disorders, heartburn, allergic reactions, severe burn or scarring of the liver and infection such as sepsis. High blood pressure or hypertension and anti-inflammatory drugs can also inhibit the flow of blood to the kidneys. Other reasons for kidney failure are lupus, blood clots around the kidney region, drug and alcohol abuse, vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels), chemotherapy medications, multiple myeloma (cancer that grows in the plasma cells of the bone marrow region), glomerulonephritis (swelling of the kidney blood vessels), scleroderma and some antibiotics.
Some factors that can contribute to urination difficulties and ultimately build up to kidney failure are; blood clots in the urinary tract region, kidney stones, injury to the nerves controlling the bladder and or an enlarged prostrate.
How is the treatment done?
There are four options of treatment that a patient can choose from; Firstly, Haemodialysis- it is a treatment method which makes use of a machine to carry the blood out from the body via a filter, thereby removing toxic wastes and the excess amount of fluid. This method helps to keep in check the blood pressure levels and balance out the quantity of essential minerals in the blood such as calcium, potassium, sodium and bicarbonate. In this method the doctor will create an access point in the vessels to filter out a huge quantity of blood every treatment session. Blood will be carried back to the body with the help of a separate filter. Although Hemodialysis cannot cure the problem of kidney failure it can surely offer temporary relief.
The second treatment option is Peritoneal dialysis- this method makes use of the belly lining to filter the blood in the body and eliminate wastes in the process. Like Hemodialysis the purpose of this method is to filter the toxic wastes and excess fluid from the body with the help of the peritoneum lining of the belly. In this method the surgeon will insert a tube in the belly only a few weeks before the beginning of treatment. The catheter or tube will permanently remain in the belly. During the treatment a dialysis solution will be transferred into the belly through the tube from a bag. This solution remains in your body and soaks up the toxic chemicals and excess fluid. After some time the dialysis solution will be let out from the body via the tube/catheter. This process called the exchange will be repeated a number of times.
The third method is a Kidney transplantation surgery which places a healthy kidney in place of the damaged one. This new kidney is gathered from either a dead person or from a living person. In the former case, the kidney is called a deceased donor kidney and the latter a living donor kidney. The transplanted kidney is placed by the surgeon in the lower part of the abdominal region and is connected to the artery. The fourth and last method called the conservative management method emphasizes on using drugs instead of a dialysis or transplantation, in order to treat the reasons for kidney failure such as the condition of anemia.
Who is eligible for the treatment? (When is the treatment done?)
People who have reached the end stage of kidney failure where the patient is losing about 80 percent of their kidney functioning capabilities and are having a glomerular filtration rate of 15 and above are eligible to go for a dialysis treatment (either haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis). Those who are suffering from chronic kidney failure and are already on dialysis treatment can go for a kidney transplantation surgery.
Who is not eligible for the treatment?
Patients who are more than 70 years of age and diagnosed to be in the advanced stage of kidney failure are not eligible for a conservative management treatment option. For them a dialysis or transplantation treatment is necessary.
Are there any side effects?
The common side effects of haemodialysis treatment are infections such as sepsis, low blood pressure, itchiness, hernia, weight gain, muscle cramps and peritonitis. The side effects that patients mostly suffer from after undergoing Dianeal PD-1 or Peritoneal Dialysis solution are bleeding, peritonitis, catheter blockage, abdominal cramps, infections around the area where the catheter was inserted, high or low blood volume in the body.
A kidney transplant surgery can lead to the rise of various complications such as infections, blood clots, bleeding, leaking or blockage of the tube connecting the kidney to the bladder, death, heart attacks or a possible stroke. The donated kidney might also fail or be rejected. Patients are prescribed a number of drugs to prevent the body’s reaction to reject the donated kidney. These anti-rejection drugs resultantly cause some side effects such as high blood pressure, weight gain, high cholesterol, acne, osteoporosis and osteonecrosis, increased hair growth or increased hair fall and edema (puffiness).
What are the post-treatment guidelines?
When undergoing kidney transplant surgery you will be required to follow certain post-treatment guidelines. After the surgery you will be required to spend around five to seven days on a transplant unit. You will also be kept under observation in case of any infection and rejection of the donor kidney by the body. At this time you will need to take a number of anti-rejection drugs as a precautionary measure against these possibilities.
How long does it take to recover?
The time for recovery from a kidney dialysis treatment varies for every patient and is usually somewhere between 2 hours to 12 hours. In other cases it can take even longer.
For those who have gone for kidney transplantation the recovery time for a patient is about three to eight weeks after which a person can resume normal activities. Any intense form of exercise as well as lifting of heavy objects is recommended to a patient who has had kidney transplantation only after six weeks.
What is the price of the treatment in India?
The cost of a haemodialysis treatment is about 12-15, 000 Indian rupees per month where they have to go for 12 haemodialysis sessions every month. In the case of peritoneal dialysis it takes about 18- 20,000 rupees every month. For a kidney transplant surgery it takes about 2-3 lakhs every years. And anti-rejection drugs cost about 1000-2000.
Are the results of the treatment permanent?
For dialysis there is no guarantee that the results of it will be permanent. For people who are above 70 years of age and those who are already in the advanced stage of Chronic kidney disorder might have to go for kidney transplantation in case the dialysis treatments or the conservative management treatments fail. Similarly, those who have had kidney transplantation stand the chance of facing donor kidney rejection by the body.
What are the alternatives to the treatment?
In case you are diagnosed with Chronic kidney disorder you may be able to follow certain home remedies as an alternative to medical treatment should you not want to go for it. The doctor will prescribe you to adopt a special diet where you will be asked to avoid food items with salt. Also, you will be asked to limit protein intake per day. And you should also take food items that are low in potassium.
Rs. 300- Rs. 3,00000
Popular Health Tips
A lot of bad things can and do happen when the kidneys fail. The kidneys are vital for proper bodily functioning because they filter liquid and solid waste products out of the blood and allow vital chemicals (which the body needs for functioning) to flow into the body through the bloodstream. People can become very sick when the kidneys either fail to perform these functions or fail to perform them properly. Many people will get chronic kidney disease, therefore, they need to know what the causes and symptoms are in order to treat, and even prevent these diseases from occurring.
People who suddenly experience the following symptoms should see a nephrologist as soon as possible for a medical examination: blood or protein in the urine, kidney stones, acute kidney injury, kidney infections, and/or pain, and Hepatitis C and kidney disease.
Blood in the urine can be a sign of kidney problems which can lead to kidney disease. Additionally, people who urinate frothy or bubbly urine, or have swelling in the hands, face, and feet should see a doctor because this is a sign of protein in the urine. Protein in the urine can be detected by a urine test. Kidney stones can be very painful and are problematic. They are caused by mineral buildup in the kidneys. Men and white people tend to get kidney stones more, and they can cause blood in the urine, painful urination, sharp lower abdominal or back pain, and nausea and vomiting.
Acute kidney injury occurs when the kidneys stop functioning altogether in a short period of time. Because this disease can be deadly, those with this disease should get immediate medical help. Usually, the very sick patients in hospitals get this disease, but it can also be caused by certain medicines, injury, or infections. This type of kidney disease is easily reversible.
Symptoms include
- Not passing enough urine when urinating
- Leg, ankle, or feet swelling
- Fatigue
- Breathing problems
- Confusion
- Nausea, and chest pressure or pain.
Kidney infections tend to be caused by bacteria that have spread from the urinary tract. Women, because of their anatomy, tend to get kidney infections more than men.
Symptoms include:
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Back, side or groin pain
- Chills
- Nausea
- Frequent urination
- Frequent urges to urinate
- Painful or burning urination
- Pus or blood in the urine
- Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
Kidney pain in the lower back or sides can signify more serious kidney problems. They can be caused by urinary tract infections, polycystic kidney disease, kidney infections, blood clots, and/or bleeding in the kidneys.
Hepatitis C is a disease that attacks the liver and can cause kidney disease.
Symptoms include
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Vomiting
- Dark colored urine
- Grey colored stool
- Joint pain
- Yellow skin and eyes
While kidney diseases are at best unpleasant, and at worst, life-threatening, they can be avoided by drinking lots of water, eating a healthy low salt diet, and watching for any changes in health and urine over time. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!
You may experience a kidney failure when your kidneys are unable to filter waste from your blood in a sufficient amount. Several factors such as toxic exposure to pollutants, extreme dehydration, kidney trauma and other chronic diseases may lead to kidney failure. The body gets overloaded with toxins, which may trigger the kidney failure.
General causes
People prone to kidney failure generally suffer from one or several of these following conditions:
- Loss of blood flow to the kidney
- Sudden loss of blood flow into the kidney may cause kidney failure. Several conditions and diseases such as heart attack, heart diseases, severe burns, allergic reactions, severe infections or scarring of the liver may cause loss of blood. Anti-inflammatory medicines as well as medicines for blood pressure are used for managing blood flow.
- Diabetes and High Blood Pressure are one of the main cause of chronic kidney disease. Controlling blood sugar levels and maintain blood pressure in normal range can prevent kidney failure.
- Problems with elimination of urine
- When the body is unable to eliminate urine, toxins are built up, which cause overloading of the kidneys. The urine passageways may get blocked due to certain types of cancers, such as colon, bladder and cervical cancer.
- Several other conditions such as kidney stones, an enlarged prostate and blood clots developing within the urinary tract can lead to problems with urine elimination.
Other causes
Many other conditions may lead to kidney failure. These include blood clots around the kidney, infections, toxic overload from heavy metals, alcohol and drugs. Others include:
- An inflammatory disease of blood vessels
- Lupus, an autoimmune disease, which causes inflammation of several organs of the body
- Glomerulonephritis, a condition which involves inflammation of blood vessels of the kidney
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition where red blood cells are broken down after a bacterial infection
- Multiple myelomas, a cancer of the plasma cells present in the bone marrow
- Scleroderma, an autoimmune disease in which your skin is affected
- Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, a disorder causing blood clots in small vessels
- Chemotherapy drugs, which are used for cancer treatment
- Certain dyes used for imaging tests
- Several antibiotic medicines
Symptoms
There are several symptoms, which indicate kidney failure. In some cases, symptoms are not experienced. Generally, the common symptoms of kidney failure include the following:
- Reduced amount of urine
- Swelling of ankles, feet and legs due to fluid retention as the kidneys cannot eliminate sufficient waste
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue and drowsiness
- Nausea
- Feeling confused
- Pain and pressure in the chest
- Seizures and coma
There are several types of kidney failure in general. They include acute prerenal kidney failure, acute intrinsic kidney failure, chronic prerenal kidney failure, chronic intrinsic kidney failure and chronic post-renal kidney failure. It is recommended that you consult a doctor upon experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!
Acute kidney failure is the kidney's inability to filter waste from the blood. As soon as the kidney loses the filtering ability, a humungous amount of body waste gets accumulated in the kidney and the chemical makeup of the body goes out of balance. Kidney or renal failure can progress tremendously from hours to days. This is a condition that is mostly witnessed in critical patients who are already hospitalized. This condition can prove to be fatal but can be reversed with treatment and medication. Here is a list of things one should do whilst suffer from kidney failure:
Lifestyle and dietary adjustments
During the phase of recovery, the medical team might assist a patient to go a special diet and limit the activity of the kidney so that they get the required time to heal. A nephrologist often routes this cases to a dietician or carefully analyses the present diet to lock up on the diet required for a speedy recovery:
Lower amount of potassium in food: Food with low potassium content is often recommended by the doctor. It ensures that kidney does not stress itself. Foods to avoid include spinach, bananas, oranges, tomato and potato. Some of the foods that need to be included in the diet are cabbage, strawberries, apples and grapes. Furthermore, food must be consumed in small quantities but in multiple servings.
Limit the amount of phosphorus in food: Phosphorus is found in abundant quantities in food items such as peanut butter, milk, dried beans, cheese and nuts. Along with skin itchiness, phosphorus can weaken the bone as well. A dietitian might share special instructions on how to cut down the amount of phosphorus and the substitute food to counter the effect of the above-mentioned ones.
Preventive measures to avoid kidney failure:
- OTC pain medications: It is necessary to check the label of over the counter pain medications. Consumption of too many OTC medications can result in kidney failure. A pre-existing kidney condition can further aggravate this condition.
- A healthy lifestyle: A sensible lifestyle with simple diet can do wonders for a kidney to be healthy in the long-term. Some of the other things to keep in mind include doing regular exercise, refrain from alcohol or drug abuse and remain active throughout the day.
- Consult a doctor: Even a hint of a kidney problem should be discussed with a doctor to ensure that even the smallest of problems can be addressed at the earliest.
In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!
The kidneys are primarily responsible for filtering blood and removing waste from the body. They also regulate the fluid and electrolyte balance. If the kidneys stop functioning, a patient may need to undergo dialysis or have a renal transplant. Many patients prefer undergoing a transplant as it offers a better quality of life in the long run.
A kidney transplant can be described as a procedure to replace one’s own kidneys with a donor's kidney. In case of kidney transplant, there are two types of donors. The human body can function with one healthy kidney and hence family members and friends of the patient may choose to donate a kidney. Else, a kidney may be sourced from recently deceased donors who have chosen to donate their organs after death. In both cases, it is important that the donor kidney match the patient’s blood and tissue type.
A renal transplant surgery usually takes about 3 hours. The donor kidney is placed in the abdominal cavity and connected to the patient’s arteries, veins and bladder. Usually, the donor kidney begins functioning immediately. The patient’s own damaged or diseased kidneys may not be removed unless there is a severe infection, cancer or a diagnosis of large polycystic kidneys.
The patient will need to be hospitalized for a few days after the surgery. In some cases, dialysis may be needed if the kidneys are unable to produce urine. In addition diuretics and other medication may be needed to remove excess water and salt from the body. Medication will also be prescribed to suppress the immune system so that the patient’s body does not reject the donor kidney. These medications typically need to be taken for the rest of the patient’s life.
A renal transplant is considered a relatively safe procedure. Less than 20 out of 100 people reject a donor kidney. However, there are a few other risks involved. These include:
• Bleeding
• Severe infection
• Failure of the donor kidney
• Reaction to anesthesia
• Increased risk of infections due to suppressed immune system
Kidney transplant is not advised for people suffering from diseases such as cancer or any significant lung or heart disease. If the patient is suffering from an infection, he or she may be advised to wait until the infection subsides before undergoing a renal transplant. A renal transplant may seem to be an expensive procedure but in the long run, this can work out to be more budget friendly than dialysis. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!
If you are concerned about your health, it is important for you to keep your kidneys protected from several harmful conditions. There are several types of kidney disorders, which may develop if your kidneys are not well cared for. This may include overload of toxins, acute renal failure, chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. Kidney cancer is another fatal threat.
Steps to keep your kidneys healthy
There are several ways you can undertake for keeping your kidneys safe. They include the following:
- Take certain tests for obtaining the panel reading of your BUN or blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (EGFR) must be determined as well. The scores obtained from these tests will tell you about the condition of your kidneys at that point of time.
- Lower the amount of phosphorous intake. When the kidney does not function properly, phosphorus accumulation is likely, which causes serious conditions like heart disorders and calcification of the tissues. You should avoid phosphorous-rich food items and abstain from drinking carbonated drinks.
- You must consume several kidney-supportive food items, which may include watermelon, cranberries, cabbage, cauliflower, blueberries, strawberries, apples, garlic, onions and olive oil.
- Obesity is linked with kidney cancer and hence, you must maintain a healthy weight. Carry out regular exercises.
- Several pain relievers such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDS may have harmful side effects on the kidney and may lead to kidney cancer. Try to avoid these medicines.
- You can take an Epsom salt bath. This is a common measure for detoxification, and the wastes and toxins get removed, improving the kidney’s health rapidly. Have regular checkups of blood and urine along with ultra-sound to know kidneys are working good.
- You should keep your blood-sugar level and blood pressure under control as they are triggers for kidney failure. You should quit smoking and stop using tobacco in any form as the toxins from nicotine harm the kidneys.
With proper care and management of your kidneys, you will be able to prevent several harmful conditions.One should get Kidney function test and Ultrasound done to check that the kidney is functioning normally.
In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!
Popular Questions & Answers
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I m Dr. Sunil Prakash. I m director and head of nephrology of renal transplant services at BLK super specialty hospital, New Delhi.
Today I would like to share with you some newer things that are happening on nephrology. You all know that if somebody has a kidney failure they will eventually land up on dialysis. Dialysis is of 2 types: peritoneal dialysis which is done at home by person themselves or your relatives. It is also called colo-colic or water dialysis. Another is blood dialysis. This can also be done at home which is called home hemodialysis and there are simple machines which are available and there are people who can be trained who can come at home and do dialysis for such patients. Or these patients come to hospitals or dialysis centers for regular dialysis. Dialysis is normally give it to 2-3 times a week. Itis certainly a cumbersome procedure and it is also costing money. But at the end of the day the decision is either dialysis or death. So if somebody reaches the end stage kidney disease then he/she will require dialysis. The other option is to go for kidney transplant. The biggest problem of kidney transplant is how to get donors? How to get kidneys? Now friends everybody has 2kidneys. And if somebody is healthy and he doesn t have diabetes, blood pressure or stone in the kidney and he is leading a good healthy life then by doing some test it can be found that person may be able to live on one kidney. So if we are certain that a donor if he can give one kidney to its relative to make him rehabilitate then he can live on one kidney and the recipient or the patient who gets the kidney will live on another kidney. This is called life-related donor program. This is a legal program. Now what is not legal? What is totally illegal is when somebody tries to buy kidneys for poor people by force or money or greed or whatever. This is illegal act and it is punishable by law. Another thing in transplant which we must encourage and our country is lacking very badly is deceased donor transplant. What is deceased donor transplant? It means unfortunately if somebody gets an accident. Young person leaves his house on bike or going for a job or something meets with the accident sometimes if the brain is irreversibly damaged but the organs like heart kidney and liver are functioning well these are called brain death patients. They are basically cadavers. Cadavers means death although technically, legally they are living at that point of time because there heart is beating but if somebody s brain is death then that person ceases to be that person. And certainly within a day the all organs will also stop functioning because their master is gone the command center is gone. And all the organs of the body requires impulses from brain to survive. So now in such a situation a person s heart is beating but it is certain to die in next 6-8-10 or maximum24 hours. So in this interim the organs of the patients are taken out and give it to people who are waiting on the organ list to be able to get these organs and get rehabilitated. In Spain the rate of donation is 50/million. In India it is 0.5/million. So we can very well imagine that how much organ shortage we are having and Indians or top of it have more proclivity of having kidney diseases and end stage kidney stages. So we badly needs these kidneys. So I request to all my listeners that let us join hands, let us do more social work, advertise and tell people that unfortunately if somebody has got brain damage then he/she is about to die then they must pledge their organs to people who are waiting below. Nothing can be better than this act of altruism and donation. Friends let us not take our organs to heaven because heaven knows that we need these organs here. Thank you for your time. I m available at BLK super specialty hospital. For any issues, consulting dialysis refers to blood pressure and transplantation center.
Thank you! Again.
Acute Renal Failure is characterized by the failure of the normal function of a kidney which occurs over a short period of time. Medically speaking, there is an accumulation of Nitrogen as a waste product in the body with fatuation of electrolyte imbalance associated with retention of fluid in the body which occurs over the period of hours to days.
The aetiology of Acute Renal Failure is varied. However, it is classified into 3;
Prerenal ARF, which constitutes majority 55% of the cases.
Entrance adrenal ARF, which contributes to about 45% adrenal failure.
And 5% of the causes are Postrenal ARF
Coming to the Prerenal ARF, most of the causes are following;
Massive dead loss, like following traffic accidents or a major surgery.
Following fluid loss like following diarrhoea, vomiting, patients having diabetes, patients with the cardiac problem may have Acute Renal Failure.
Intense Renal ARF is 2 types. These can be ischemic in nature or toxic in nature.
Good Morning mera naam hai Dr. Amol Bamane aur mai Ras Yog Ayurveda ka founder hun. Aaj mai aap ko renal failure k baare mein information dene wala hun. Renal failure yani aap ka jo kidney hai wo kaam karna band ho jaata hai ya kam ho jaata hai. Iss condition ko hum renal failure kehte hai. Uske causes hai Acute Glomerulonephritis. Jo nephrones hai uska size badh jaata hai, agar kisi ko high blood pressure hai to wo bhi uska ek cause hai, polycystic disease of kidney-agar usse polycystic disease hai to wo bhi cause hi sakta hai, tuberculosis of kidney - agar kidney ka tuberculosis hai to usse renal failure ho jata hai ye renal function mein problem ho jaata hai, to ye saare causes hai iske.
Iske symptoms nausea hai, vomiting hai, lungs mein fluid saturate ho jaata hai vomiting mein bhi blood aa jata hai, anemia hai, constipation bhi hota hai iss case mein. Iss k symptoms body swelling rehta hai, itching rehta hai. Isme diet aur lifestyle aisa hona chahiye k aap ka jo blood pressure hai wo control mein rehna chahiye. Agar aap tablets nahi le rahe hai to aap tablets lena shuru kar dijiye, blood sugar levels bhi aap ka control mein rehana chahiye, zyada salty khana aap mat khaiye, alcohol and nicotine consumption aap puri tarah se band kar dijiye. Diet acche se maintain kijiye, vegetarian diet lijiye. To maine jo ye saare diet aur healthy life style k baare mein bataya hai ye follow kijiye.
Iss wishai mein aur jankaari k liye aap lybrate.com pe jaa k humein consult bhi kar sakte hain.
I am Dr D K Agarwal. I m senior consultant nephrologists from the Indraprastha Hospital, New Delhi. I m from Lybrate. Today, we will discuss kidney failure.
As you know the kidney failure is a very common problem nowadays. The cases are increasing day by day and treatment is very costly, you know the transplantation, dialysis or CLPD is very costly. So we should know about the kidney failure. Kidney failure is when we say the urea creatinine is high, urine is less in amount. There is swelling, loss of appetite. All these things are there then we say you are suffering from kidney failure.
There are few causes of kidney failure which are very important to know, for example,
One is diabetes. One of the top most causes of kidney failure is if you are having diabetes then chances of kidney failure are there. So you will have to control it.
The second is hypertension.
Third is painkillers, the pain killers are also very important cause so we are having a habit of self-medication. We go the chemist and we take medicines, that is also an important cause of kidney failure.
Other causes as we know there are stones, cysts and other obstructions in the passage of urine from the kidney to the urethra to the bladder and to outside.
So these are the few important causes of kidney failure.
Now, at last, I want to say that if you have any query you don t worry at all. You can contact me 24 hours via lybrate. We are at your service.
Thank you