How to test for chronic renal failure?

Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
Updated on September 12, 2024
00:00
00:00

The examinations for patients with chronic kidney failure are divided into several aspects: First, it is necessary to confirm the presence of chronic kidney failure and assess its severity. This requires blood tests for kidney function, observing levels of blood creatinine and urea nitrogen, and performing endogenous creatinine clearance tests to determine the degree of kidney failure; Second, it is important to determine whether there are complications associated with kidney failure. Therefore, routine blood tests are necessary to check for renal anemia, blood pressure measurements to observe if there is renal hypertension, and blood tests for electrolytes to check for any electrolyte disorders. These patients also need to have their parathyroid hormone levels checked and undergo iron metabolism tests to provide a basis for further treatment.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wu Ji
Nephrology
50sec home-news-image

Principles of Treatment for Chronic Renal Failure

The principles of treatment for chronic renal failure include early-stage non-dialysis conservative treatment as well as end-stage renal replacement therapy. Non-dialysis conservative treatment includes delaying the progression of kidney damage, which requires treating the primary disease, implementing nutritional support, and controlling factors that accelerate kidney disease progression, such as controlling high blood pressure, proteinuria, and hyperlipidemia. Additionally, it is necessary to eliminate metabolic waste from the body, and maintain the body's water, electrolyte, and acid-base balance. Renal replacement therapy includes hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplant therapy.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Nephrology
41sec home-news-image

Chronic renal failure anemia treatment

Patients with chronic renal failure generally have anemia combined with stage three or above of chronic kidney disease (CKD). When the hemoglobin falls below 100 grams per liter, it is necessary to start treatment to correct anemia. At this point, relevant lab tests should be conducted to check for abnormalities in folate, vitamin B12, ferritin, and serum iron levels, and specific treatments should be administered accordingly. Treatments generally include iron supplements, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, folate, and vitamin B12 to help correct anemia.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
49sec home-news-image

Chronic renal failure inevitably has symptoms.

Patients with chronic kidney failure do not necessarily have symptoms, and the symptoms of each patient are not exactly the same. Chronic kidney failure refers to the damage to the kidneys by various chronic kidney diseases, eventually leading to the kidneys' inability to adequately excrete metabolic waste, causing the accumulation of water and metabolic waste in the body. This leads to disturbances in the patient's electrolytes and may also present clinical symptoms such as anemia and hypertension. However, not all patients feel discomfort, so chronic kidney failure is also known as the silent killer. If a patient undergoes a blood test, it will show an increase in blood creatinine and urea nitrogen, which is the only common feature among all patients with chronic kidney failure.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
43sec home-news-image

Can chronic renal failure be cured by dialysis?

Patients with chronic renal failure can undergo dialysis treatment to sustain life and improve quality of life. However, dialysis merely uses artificial means to excrete accumulated metabolic wastes and fluids in the body, regulate the internal environment, and simply substitutes for the function of the kidneys. Dialysis has no therapeutic value for renal failure itself. Therefore, patients with chronic renal failure should not expect dialysis to restore kidney function. Nonetheless, as a renal replacement therapy, dialysis can provide patients with a relatively good lifespan and quality of life. Dialysis treatment is necessary for patients with uremia.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Pan Wu Shan
Nephrology
1min 11sec home-news-image

What is good to eat for chronic renal failure?

Dietary aspects of chronic kidney failure should be divided into two parts. Firstly, for patients who have not reached the uremic phase and have not undergone dialysis, it is important to maintain a low-salt, low-fat, high-quality low-protein diet, limiting salt intake to no more than three grams per day and avoiding fried and greasy foods. Lower-quality proteins like beans, soybeans, mung beans, etc., should be consumed in smaller quantities. Instead, more animal proteins should be consumed, such as lean meats, eggs, and milk. Once patients have entered the uremic phase and have started dialysis, a low-salt, low-fat, high-quality high-protein diet is necessary, as dialysis requires a significant amount of energy. Additionally, it is crucial to restrict fluid intake; consuming too much salt or water can easily lead to generalized edema and cardiovascular complications.