RRT and Renal Transplant Flashcards
When should RRT planning begin in CKD?
When the risk of renal failure is 10-20% within a year.
Referral to nephrology less than 1 year before RRT is required is considered a late referral.
All suitable patients should be listed for a deceased donor transplantation 6 months before the anticipated start of RRT.
All suitable patients should also be informed about the advantages of a pre-emptive living kidney transplant and efftorts made to find a donor.
When should RRT be started?
When it is necessary to manage one or more symptoms of renal failure including:
Inability to control volume status, including pulmonary oedema.
Inability to control blood pressure
Serositis
Acid-base or electrolyte abnormalities
Pruritus
Nausea, vomiting, deterioration in nutritional status
Cognitive impairment
What are the two types of dialyses?
Haemodialysis (HD)
Peritoneal dialysis (PD)
Explain PD.
Uses the peritoneum of the patient as a semi-permeable membrane.
A catheter is inserted into the peritoneal cavity and fluid is infused.
Ultrafiltration is achieved by adding osmotic agents such as glucose to the dialysate fluid. This makes solutes such as electrolytes, urea and creatinine to move from the patient’s blood into the dialysate fluid as well as water.
Advantages of PD.
It can be performed at home!
Quality of life might be greater
It’s a good first choice for patients with some native renal function left.
The PD regimes are largely individualised to the patient’s own needs.
Not as heavy on dietary restrictions as HD
Disadvantages of PD.
Patients need to be able to manage technical aspects of dialysis themselves.
It is unsuitable for patients with stoma or previous surgery
Complications of PD.
Drainage problems
Risk of infection (peritonitis)
Catheter exit infection
Malposition
Leaks
Herniae
Hydrothorax
Constipation may impair flow of dialysate
Sclerosing peritonitis is a potentially fatal complication
What are the different types of PD?
Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD)
Automated peritoneal dialysis
Assisted Automated PD
Explain automated PD.
Also called nightly intermittent peritoneal dialysis.
It is carried out with an automated cycle machine performed at night.
10-12L usually exchanged over 8-10 hours.
This leaves daytime free.
Explain CAPD.
4-5 dialysis exchanges per day, usually 2 litres each.
They are performed at regular intervals throughout the day with a long overnight dwell.
What is haemodialysis?
Can be used as temporary dialysis or permanent.
The dialysis machine pumps blood from the patient through a disposable tubing, through a dialyser or artificial kidney and then back into the patient again.
Waste solute, salt and excess fluid is removed from the blood.
What is the (IV) access of haemodialysis?
Usually an arteriovenous fistula is surgically formed between radial/brachial artery and cephalic vein or a Tunnelled cuffed catheter.
Synthetic arteriovenous grafts can be used as an alternative.
If AVF is not appropriate or if the patient is in an acute setting a semi-permanent dual-lumen venous catheter (Tunnelled cuffed catheter) can be inserted under a skin tunnel into the jugular, subclavian or femoral vein.
For urgent dialysis or temporary an untunnelled large-bore double-lumen dialysis catheter can be inserted into a central vein.
Advantages of HD.
Efficient form of dialysis
Unit based with plenty support from staff
Removes the need for the patient to manage the dialysis themselves.
Disadvantages of HD.
Dialysis access needs to be secure.
Need access to hospital
Need to be close to hospital
Need to be able to travel to hospital
Complications of haemodialysis.
Infection/bacteraemia, septic arthritis, vertibritis, endocarditis
Haemodynamic instability
Haematomas and risk of bleed
Muscle cramps
Anaemia due to clotted lines/haemolysis
AVF steal syndrome
SVCO from central line
Malfunction, thrombosis or bleeding from access.
Cerebral oedema and fitting due to rapid urea removal
Give examples of types of haemodialysis.
Home HD
Nocturnal HD
CRRT (continuous renal replacement therapy) - mainly used in an acute setting.
Explain haemofiltration.
Water is cleared by +ve pressure, dragging solutes into the waste by convection.
The ultrafiltrate is replaced with a clean fluid.
This might be preferred in an acute setting where haemodynamic instability is common.
It is not used long term RRT unless in combination with HD (haemodiafiltration).
Complications of RRT.
Cardiovascular disease (BP up, calcium/phosphate dysregulation, vascular stiffness, inflammation)
Protein-calorie malnutrition.
Renal bone disease - High bone turnover, renal osteodystrophy, osteitis fibrosa
Infection - uraemia causes granulocyte and T cell dysfunction
When should renal transplant be considered?
Every patient with, or progressing towards stage G5 kidney disease.
It is the treatment of choice for kidney failure provided benefits outweigh the risk.