General information In acute and chronic kidney failure, the clinical picture differs significantly depending on the cause and thus the course of the kidney failure, especially at the beginning of the disease. Acute kidney failure leads to the sudden appearance of unspecific symptoms. Patients tire more quickly than before, and concentration difficulties and nausea can … Symptoms of kidney failure
Dialysis is an apparatus-based method for the treatment of certain diseases or symptoms in which the body’s kidneys are unable to perform their work adequately or at all, or in which the patient no longer has a kidney. In principle, in all variants of dialysis, all the patient’s blood is passed through a kind of … Dialysis
Functionality In general, extracorporeal dialysis taking place outside the body can be distinguished from intracorporeal dialysis taking place inside the body. Most cases involve extracorporeal treatment. Here, the patient is connected to the external dialysis machine, which then performs the blood washing. There are several technical principles for washing the blood. Common to all methods … Functionality | Dialysis
Implementation The point at which a patient has inadequate kidney function and is therefore subject to dialysis is determined on the basis of the patient’s clinical picture together with certain laboratory values. One value that is well related to kidney function is creatinine. Nevertheless, an increase in this value is not sufficient to definitely justify … Implementation | Dialysis
Complications All in all, dialysis is a safe medical procedure with few complications. The most vulnerable component in dialysis therapy is the shunt. As with all invasive procedures, there is a certain basic risk that an infection will spread, which in the worst case can lead to sepsis. However, this risk is extremely low. It … Complications | Dialysis
The mortality risk of kidney failure depends on The type of organ failure, The concomitant diseases and The therapy. Nevertheless, both acute and chronic kidney failure is a life-threatening disease that is sometimes difficult to treat. In general, mortality is significantly increased even with slight impairment of renal function. With increasing restriction of renal function, … Risk of mortality from kidney failure
Patients whose kidney function is no longer adequate and who require dialysis have very different life expectancies. The prognosis depends strongly on the underlying disease leading to kidney failure, on age and on accompanying diseases. Life expectancy with dialysis There are patients who have been undergoing dialysis therapy regularly for decades, but there are also … Life expectancy in case of kidney failure
Life expectancy without treatment Without treatment, i.e. without dialysis and without drug therapy, terminal renal failure, i.e. end-stage renal failure, is fatal in most cases for days or months. If the kidney is in the final stage of the disease, it can no longer excrete the urinary substances, which gradually accumulate in the body as … Life expectancy without treatment | Life expectancy in case of kidney failure
What is a dialysis shunt? Our kidney serves as the detoxification organ of the body. When the kidneys fail to function properly, such as kidney failure, substances such as urea cannot be washed out of the blood sufficiently and poisoning can occur. In order to prevent this, a blood wash (dialysis) is performed. The dialysis … Dialysis shunt
Procedure Before the operation, the patient is informed about the course of the operation and the risks involved. If the patient agrees to the operation, the procedure can be performed. The surgery is performed under local or regional anesthesia. In rare cases, it can also be performed under general anesthesia. The whole procedure takes about … Procedure | Dialysis shunt
What are the alternatives? In addition to the dialysis shunt, there are also alternative dialysis accesses. One possibility is the dialysis catheter. This is a centrally located venous catheter, such as a Shaldon catheter, which is placed in the neck or shoulder area. This catheter also enables dialysis.Due to the higher risk of infection and … What are the alternatives? | Dialysis shunt
Bleeding at the shunt Incorrect puncture of the dialysis shunt can lead to bleeding. However, these bleedings are usually small and have no further consequences for the patient. As a result, a haematoma can develop. If the bleeding is greater than expected, surgery may be necessary in rare cases to ensure the shunt functions properly … Bleeding at the shunt | Dialysis shunt
