Home Health Center Kidney Failure   Treating A Failed Kidney

Treatments for Kidney Failure


The treatment for Kidney Failure usually necessitates hospitalization. The length of the hospital stay depends on the cause of the kidney failure and how soon the kidneys recover. The treatment involves determining the condition that caused the kidney damage and treating that particular condition. Medications will also be administered to enable the kidneys to heal properly and to prevent further complications. These treatments include:

  • Intravenous fluids to replenish the fluid levels in the blood. In some cases, there may be an excess of fluid in the body leading to swelling in the extremities. In such cases, medications to eliminate these extra fluids will be administered.
  • If the kidneys are unable to filter the potassium from the blood, medications to keep the potassium levels stable are administered. High levels of potassium in the bloodstream can lead to arrhythmias.
  • In case the calcium levels in the blood reduce too much, the doctor may administer medications to reduce the calcium levels.
  • Once the toxin levels in the blood increase, temporary dialysis may become necessary. This helps to eliminate the toxins, excess fluids and extra potassium from the body. Dialysis is done with the help of a machine which pumps the blood out of the body through a dialyzer and filters out the waste material. The blood is then transferred back to the body. There are two types of dialysis, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. In hemodialysis, the blood is pumped out of the body into a machine that serves as an artificial kidney which filters the blood. In peritoneal dialysis, a special solution is pumped into the abdominal cavity. The waste and excess fluids are carried by the body’s blood vessels into the abdominal cavity where they are absorbed by the solution. The solution is then removed from the body along with the waste and excess fluids.
In case of end stage kidney disease wherein the kidneys start to function at a drastically reduced capacity, a kidney transplant may be the only available treatment. Those who do not suffer from any life threatening illness other that renal failure may be eligible for a kidney transplant. The damaged liver is replaced with a healthy one from a donor. The new kidney can come from either a living or deceased donor. 
Prognosis
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References
  1. Thomas V. Perneger, Frederick L. Brancati, Paul K. Whelton, Michael J. Klag, Studying the causes of kidney disease in humans: A review of methodologic obstacles and possible solutions, American Journal of Kidney Diseases, Volume 25, Issue 5, May 1995, Pages 722-731, ISSN 0272-6386, 10.1016/0272-6386(95)90548-0.
  2. Paul Stevens, Assessment of patients presenting with acute renal failure (acute kidney injury), Medicine, Volume 35, Issue 8, August 2007, Pages 429-433, ISSN 1357-3039, 10.1016/j.mpmed.2007.05.013.
  3. K.J. Kelly, Acute Renal Failure: Much More Than a Kidney Disease, Seminars in Nephrology, Volume 26, Issue 2, March 2006, Pages 105-113, ISSN 0270-9295, 10.1016/j.semnephrol.2005.09.003.