Specialist Renal Knowledge

Specialist Renal Knowledge

Introduction

A neuropathy causing the disease and damage of the kidney is called a renal/nephrological disease. Renal diseases are widespread and deteriorate with age. It is essential to timely manage renal disease as they are often associated with other systemic neuropathies, such as diabetes and hypertension. Untreated renal disease often ends in renal failure.

It was estimated that in England, between the year 2008/09, 1,739,443 people aged 18 and over were diagnosed with kidney disease (NHS, 2010). Therefore, in order to ensure safe and efficient management of renal disease care, specialist nephrological nurses are appointed as renal diseases are vast in nature with fatal implications.

Acute renal failure

It is also called Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). A clinical condition resulting in the rapid decrease of normal renal excretory function, such as removal of wastes, inability to concentrate urine, unable to preserve electrolytes, and unable to maintain fluid balance (Schrier et al. 2004). Normal renal functions are decreased due to various causes, such as,

1.Decreased blood volume

2.Kidney damage owing to glomerulonephritis.

Acute renal failure can also take place due the presence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). It can be defined as; a sudden decrease (within 48 hours) in kidney function when the serum creatinine level is either increased or equal to 0.3 mg/dl (= 26.4 µmol/l), or serum creatinine level is more than or equal to 50% (1.5-fold from baseline), or a decrease in the urine output (below 0.5 ml/kg per hour for more than six hours) (Mehta et al. 2007).

Chronic renal failure

It is also called Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). It is a disease characterized by conditions that harm the kidneys and result in the inability of function. The prolonged inability of kidneys leads to the accumulation of waste products in the body. It can cause various systemic myopathies ,such as increased blood pressure, anemia (low blood count), osteoporotic bones, and nerve damage.

It is usually caused by conditions such as, diabetes, blood pressure etc. The end product of kidney disease is renal failure (NKF, 2013).

Renal replacement therapy

Haemodialysis

The process of removal of aggregated metabolic waste products from the blood with the assistance of an artificial kidney is called, Haemodialysis. It is done by a dialysis machine, which pumps blood from the patient via special tubes to the dialyzer, purified then returned to the patient. It maintains the management of the patient undergoing acute and chronic kidney failure (ANNA, 2013).

Hemodialysis can either be done as an outpatient or inpatient management. Regular hemodialysis is done in a dialysis outpatient facility, in a hospital or clinic. Often, hemodialysis can also be conducted at home. Whereas, the dialysis management being done in a specific clinic run by specialized staff of nurses and technicians are called a satellite unit. In some cases, dialysis treatments can also be conducted at home.

Source of image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hemodialysis-en.svg

Peritoneal Dialysis (PD)

Like haemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis also functions as a kidney to remove the excess metabolic waste products from being accumulated in the human body. However, unlike haemodialysis, it can easily be managed by the patients ...