KIDNEY FAILURE

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

Kidney’s are found on the back on either side of the spine. They are 2 bean-shaped organs that are the
size of a person’s fist.

WHAT DOES YOUR KIDNEYS DO?

 Healthy kidneys:
o Balances water and minerals which are essential in the blood
o Removes waste from blood after food digestions, medications, muscle activity, and
chemical exposure
o Create renin hat is used to manage blood pressure level
o Creates a chemical called erythropoietin that stimulates the body to make red blood cells
o Creates an active form of vitamin D, which is essential for the health of the bones and
other functions

WHAT IS KIDNEY FAILURE?

The inability to filter blood that can lead to unsafe waste products to accumulate, is known as
kidney or renal failure. If left untreated, in worst cases, it can lead to death.

 Problems that can result to kidney failure:

o Lack of blood to filter waste
o Your kidney can be damaged by diseases like:
 high blood sugar level (diabetes)
 glomerulonephritis (damage to the kidney's tiny filters)
 high blood pressure
 enlargement of kidneys due to cluster of cysts: polycystic kidney disease
o Blockage due to kidney stone or scar formation
There are 2 main types of kidney (renal) failure:  

 ACUTE RENAL FAILURE (sudden)

o Occurs when kidney abruptly stop filtering wastes from the blood
o Develops rapidly, typically less than a few days
o Common to patients who were already hospitalized, critically ill, or patients who are in dire
need of intensive care
o Can be fatal, but reversible if optimal health is maintained
o Signs include:
 Swelling of the hands, feet and face (edema)
 internal bleeding
 confusion
 seizures
 coma
 abnormal level blood and urine tests
 increased level of blood pressure
 CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE (over time).
o Builds slowly with unobservable symptoms during the early stages
o Patient may not develop symptoms until the decline of kidney function to 20% or less
o Signs include:
 abnormal level blood and urine test
 Increased level of blood pressure
 weight loss
 low RBC count
 nausea
 vomiting
 metal taste in your mouth
 loss of appetite
 shortness of breath
 chest pains
 numbness and tingling
  confusion
 coma
 seizures
 easy bruising
 itching
 fatigue
 headaches
 muscle twitches and cramps
 weak bones that break easily
 yellow-brown skin color
 itching
 swelling of the hands, feet and face (edema)
 Trouble in sleeping leading to sleep deprivation

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE KIDNEY/ RENAL FAILURE?

 Ask you prescribed doctor for these tests:

o eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate)
 Indicates how well the kidney filtrates the blood
 If creatinine level is above the average in the blood, it is a sign that the kidneys are
having trouble in filtering wastes
o Urine Test
 Used to check if there is protein or blood in the urine
 The presence of protein and blood indicates abnormality in function
o Blood pressure
 Checks how hard the heart works in pumping the blood throughout the body
 High blood pressure causes kidney disease, and/or vice versa
CAUSES:

Kidney failure can occur with several reasons such as:

Loss of blood flow to the kidneys

A sudden loss of blood flow to your kidneys can prompt kidney failure. Some conditions that cause
loss of blood flow to the kidneys include:

 Heart Attack
 Heart Disease
 Scarring of the Liver or Liver Failure
 Dehydration
 Severe Burn
 An Allergic Reaction
 A Severe Infection, Such as Sepsis

High blood pressure and anti-inflammatory medications can also limit blood flow.

Urine elimination problems

When the body can’t eliminate urine, toxins build up and overload the kidneys. Some cancers can
block the urine passageways, such as:

 Prostate (Most Common Type In Men)

 Colon
 Cervical
 Bladder

Other conditions can interfere with urination and possibly lead to kidney failure, including:

 Kidney Stones
 Enlarged Prostate
 Blood Clots within the Urinary Tract
 Damage to the Nerves that control the bladder.
Other causes

Some other things that may lead to kidney failure include:

 a blood clot in or around the kidneys

 Infection
 an overload of toxins from heavy metals
 drugs and alcohol
 Vasculitis, an inflammation of blood vessels
 Lupus, an autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation of many body organs
 Glomerulonephritis, an inflammation of the small blood vessels of the kidneys
 Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, which involves the breakdown of red blood cells following a bacterial
infection, usually of the intestines
 Multiple Myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells in your bone marrow
 Scleroderma, an autoimmune condition that affects your skin
 Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, a disorder that causes blood clots in small vessels
 chemotherapy drugs that treat cancer and some autoimmune diseases
 uncontrolled diabetes

EFFECT:

Acute Renal Failure – ARF

ARF occurs when the kidneys suddenly stop filtering waste products from the blood.

The signs of ARF can be:

 swelling of the hands, feet and face (edema)

 internal bleeding
 confusion
 seizures
 coma
 abnormal blood and urine tests
 high blood pressure
Chronic Renal Failure – CRF

CRF builds slowly with very few symptoms in its early stages.

A patient with CRF may not have any symptoms until kidney function declines to 20% or less. At that stage,
these signs may appear:

 abnormal blood and urine tests

 high blood pressure
 weight loss for no reason
 low red blood cell count (anemia)
 nausea
 vomiting
 metal taste in your mouth
 loss of appetite
 shortness of breath
 chest pains
 numbness and tingling
 confusion
 coma
 seizures
 easy bruising
 itching
 fatigue
 headaches
 muscle twitches and cramps
 weak bones that break easily
 yellow-brown skin color
 itching
 swelling of the hands, feet and face (edema)
  trouble sleeping

CURRENT TREATMENT AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES:

PREVENTIVE MEASURE:

Damage to kidney has the possibility of being permanent, however the damage can be fixed. Steps to
maintain the optimal level of health of the kidneys should be advised as to not worsen the damage, by:

 Control the level of blood sugar, especially if you have diabetes.

 Keep a healthy blood pressure by exercising regularly, 30 minutes a day
 Follow a low-salt, low-fat diet.
 Keep a healthy weight.
 Do not smoke
 Limit the intake of alcoholic beverages
 Be aware of the prescribed medications and its’ effects

TREATMENT:

 ACUTE RENAL FAILURE

o Treat the cause: level of blood pressure, formation of kidney stones, or high blood sugar
o In some cases, dialysis is essential for a certain duration
 CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE
o Treating the cause: level of blood pressure, formation of kidney stones, or high blood
sugar can slow the progression of the disease
o Can lead to end stage kidney disease

When kidney function falls below 10%, dialysis or transplant is needed, especially if there’s a build-up of
waste in the blood, nausea and itching.

DIALYSIS

Blood is pumped through a machine that filters out the waste and returns clean blood to the body. The 2
types of dialysis are hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
Hemodialysis:  A tube (catheter) is stuck into one of the veins in either the neck, arm, or leg.  Usually done 3
times a week, with a duration of three to four hours per session.

Peritoneal dialysis: It is done through a tube being permanently set in the belly. Adults mostly have dialysis
done in an outpatient hemodialysis center, children on the other hand have peritoneal dialysis done at
home.

KIDNEY TRANSPLANT

It is when a surgeon puts a healthier kidney from another person into the patient’s body. Kidney transplant
is the best way to treat end stage kidney failure.

Kidneys for transplant come from deceased donors or donated by health living people. Living donors are
usually from the members of the patient. Patients who were transplanted tend to live and last longer than
those from deceased donors, or those who stay on dialysis. With proper equipment and technique, living
kidney donors don’t need to be a blood family member.

REFERENCES:

 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kidney-failure/symptoms-causes/syc-20369048
 https://www.urologyhealth.org/urologic-conditions/kidney-(renal)-failure
 https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/kidney-failure/what-is-kidney-failure
 https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-kidney-disease-basic-information#1
 https://www.kidneyfund.org/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/#how_can_i_prevent_ckd
 https://www.urologyhealth.org/urologic-conditions/kidney-(renal)-failure
 https://www.healthline.com/health/kidney-failure#causes
 https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/238798-overview#a3