Hemodialysis for Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease: Benefits and Challenges
Introduction
This report discusses a crucial medical procedure that has transformed the lives of countless patients with chronic kidney disease: hemodialysis.
Description of Stage 4 CKD
Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a severe loss of kidney function, which indicates a critical point where the kidneys have significantly reduced capacity to filter waste fluids and electrolytes (Chertow et al., 2021).
Pathophysiology of CKD
CKD is a progressive condition that involves several key mechanisms. Chronic inflammation plays a central role, causing persistent damage to nephrons, leading to fibrosis and scarring within the kidney tissue. As nephrons are lost, the remaining ones undergo glomerular hyperfiltration, a compensatory mechanism where they work harder to maintain kidney function.
Description of chosen treatment modality
One common treatment modality for advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) is hemodialysis (Saha & Allon, 2017). It involves filtering the blood through an artificial kidney, or dialyzer, to remove waste products, excess fluids, and electrolytes that the kidneys can no longer manage effectively. Hemodialysis plays a crucial role in replacing many of the functions that healthy kidneys perform.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages: Hemodialysis can be crucial for patients with advanced CKD, providing the necessary support to maintain life by filtering out waste products and excess fluids. Given Bronte's puffiness in her legs and feet, along with her shortness of breath, this treatment could greatly improve her quality of life.
Disadvantages: Hemodialysis usually requires several hours per session, multiple times per week. This can be a significant burden for Bronte, who has a family with three young children and a husband who works shift work. Hemodialysis also carries risks such as infections, blood clots, low blood pressure, and muscle cramps.
Conclusion
Hemodialysis is a vital treatment for patients with kidney failure, offering life-saving benefits and relief from debilitating symptoms. For patients like Bronte Crocker, the decision to pursue hemodialysis involves weighing these advantages and disadvantages in the context of their personal and family circumstances.
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