Treatment of renal infarction | Renal infarction – dangerous or curable?

Treatment of renal infarction

A renal infarction should be treated as soon as possible to avoid consequences due to insufficient oxygen supply to the kidney. As an immediate measure, those affected with an acute renal infarction are administered heparin (5,000 to 10,000 IU, international units). This is an anticoagulant to prevent further blood clot formation and to dissolve existing ones.

If both kidneys are affected, dialysis may be necessary, in which case the kidney function is replaced with a device. If the clot cannot be dissolved with Herapin, surgery or lysis therapy may be considered. The harmful embolus or thrombus can be removed surgically. Lysis therapy involves inserting a catheter into the kidney and administering a drug to break up the clot. Lysis therapy often uses the enzyme urokinase or the active substance rtPA (Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator), i.e. substances that dissolve the blood clot in a natural way.

The right nutrition after a kidney infarction

After a renal infarction, nutrition is determined by the underlying disease and the consequences of the infarction. If acute kidney failure occurs, fluid intake is an important aspect and should be discussed with the treating physician. The diet should specifically reduce the level of urinary substances in the blood, normalize blood pressure and flush out water retention.

Too much protein in the diet can put a strain on the kidneys, while doing without protein slows down the progression of kidney weakness. Depending on the severity of the kidney weakness, the protein content of the food should be adjusted; overall, the diet should always be low in protein. It should also be discussed with the doctor how much salt may be ingested.

Too much salt can have a negative effect on blood pressure, but abstaining from salt can even worsen kidney function. It is therefore important to adjust the salt intake to the individual situation. In principle, after a kidney infarction, a low-protein diet is positive for the prognosis. The consequences of a kidney infarction can be different, so that the diet should be discussed individually with the treating physician.