You may notice one or more of the following symptoms if your kidneys are beginning to fail.
End-stage renal failure, also known as end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is the final, permanent stage of chronic kidney disease, where kidney function has declined to the point that the kidneys can no longer function on their own. The most common causes of ESRD in the United States are diabetes and high blood pressure.
Symptoms
You may notice one or more of the following symptoms if your kidneys are beginning to fail.
Diagnosis
Your doctor diagnoses ESRD using a physical examination and tests to check your kidney function.
Kidney function tests include Urinalysis, this test helps your doctor check for protein and blood in your urine. These substances indicate that your kidneys aren’t processing waste properly. Blood tests, to measure the amount of waste products, such as creatinine and urea, in your blood.
Treatment
Treatments for ESRD (End-Stage Renal Disease) include the following:
There are only two treatments for ESRD. Dialysis and kidney transplant. Dialysis treatment uses a machine to filter waste and extra water from your blood, attempting to replace many important functions of your kidney. Two types of dialysis: include hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. We offer options for hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis when a patient isn’t able to receive a kidney transplant. Hemodialysis is a treatment used when your kidneys fail (Stage 5 Kidney Disease) and can no longer clean your blood and remove extra fluid from your body. A hemodialysis access or vascular access is a way to reach your blood for hemodialysis.
If you receive hemodialysis, your access is one of the following:
1.) An AV fistula made by joining an artery and vein in your arm
2.) An AV graft made by using a soft tube to join an artery and vein in your arm
3.) A catheter, a soft tube that is placed in a large vein, usually in your neck
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) recommends the AV (arteriovenous) fistula as the preferred choice for permanent vascular access. The AV graft is the next preferred choice for permanent access. The catheter is recommended for temporary access. There may be conditions that prevent you from having a fistula or graft and a catheter may be used.
