There are certain rules to follow in order to keep kidney health intact. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers encourage the following lifestyle habits to ensure healthy kidneys and overall health.  1. Maintain a healthy and balanced diet.           Most kidney problems arise from other medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular problems. Eating a healthy diet will help control weight and blood pressure. Eating a healthy diet that is low in sodium and processed meats could help prevent kidney damage. Foods that are low in sodium, such as blueberries, broccoli, and more are favorable. Preventing hypertension and diabetes will help keep the kidneys functioning correctly.  2. Remain active          Keeping an active lifestyle and exercising regularly can help lower the risk of chronic kidney failure. Being physically active will also lower one's blood pressure and can improve heart ...

       Nephrology nurses work with patients who have kidney disease. These nurses have to be comfortable working with all ages like children, adults, and the elderly can all become victims of kidney disease. Kidney disease may be difficult to understand as sometimes it is a hereditary disease but also may be caused by other conditions/infections. According to the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA),  “The nurse's role is to help patients manage their lives—succeed at school or work, socialize, maintain relationships, or enjoy hobbies—while effectively dealing with their health issues". Nephrology nurse's duties can differ varying from setting to setting with varying job titles such as dialysis nurse, nurse manager, vascular access coordinator, and organ recovery coordinator.      Dialysis nurses  will oversee every aspect of the dialysis process. Their roles include verifying the dialysate/equipment is working, discussing patient co...

       Amelia is an 80-year-old woman who has started peritoneal dialysis 2 years ago. She has granted permission to share her story about being on peritoneal dialysis. Despite Amelia's age, she keeps an active lifestyle with her immediate family. She enjoys cooking, spending time with her grandchildren, and taking walks. Amelia is still a very independent woman and was a candidate for CCPD. She was diagnosed with diabetes in her 50s, cardiovascular complications, and hypertension, aside from kidney failure. The doctors believed that kidney failure was caused by diabetes. Amelia was diagnosed with kidney disease after she had passed out one day. Her daughter took her to the doctor's and she was diagnosed with kidney failure. The doctors and Amelia decided that peritoneal dialysis was the best fit option for her lifestyle. Beginning peritoneal dialysis was at first difficult for her as it took her some time to understand the different ports in her body. After a few mo...

    The goal of peritoneal dialysis nutrition therapy is to maintain nutritional status, replace albumin, minimize complications of fluid imbalance, minimize symptoms of uremic toxicity, and minimize metabolic disorders. Compared to hemodialysis, energy needs are lower with peritoneal dialysis. Approximately 60% of the dextrose is absorbed and should be considered an energy source, hence less energy from nutrients is needed. Peritoneal dialysis patients are at risk for deficiencies of water-soluble vitamins and minerals. These vitamin and mineral supplements are recommended, including folic acid and vitamin D.      Protein needs are higher for peritoneal dialysis. During PD, protein losses are from 20-30 g/day. It is recommended to monitor serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels, uremic symptoms, and weight. Protein shakes are specially made for patients who are on peritoneal dialysis to ensure adequate nutrition. Sodium, potassium, and fluid are not res...

    With peritoneal dialysis, there is only one type of access. The PD catheter is a hollow, flexible tube that is surgically placed in the lower abdomen. There is a small piece of tubing that is left outside the body that can easily be covered. The healing time from the procedure is usually 2 days, but can be longer depending on the patient. Once the catheter is fully healed, the nurse will begin to teach the patient how to hook up themselves to the PD machine in order to perform dialysis from their home. A buried catheter is also an option. The only major difference is that the small end of the tubing is left under the skin until the start of treatment. When the tube is exposed, there is no downtime, and dialysis may begin. The buried catheter is usually an option suggested by the doctor if dialysis needs to be started immediately.       In order to take care of the peritoneal catheter/insertion site good hygiene, protecting the catheter site, and inspect...

      Peritoneal dialysis differs from hemodialysis as it is done through the peritoneum (lining of the abdomen) rather than through the blood. Surprisingly, peritoneal dialysis as a treatment began much earlier than hemodialysis, however, there were complications with accessing the perineal cavity-causing treatment to take a pause. Peritoneal dialysis was first introduced in the 1920s and was further developed in the 1960s with the development of intermittent peritoneal dialysis. The development of this was conducted in three locations; Seattle under Henry  Tenckhoff; Montpelier, France under Charles Mion; and in Toronto. Peritoneal dialysis was further developed due to patients that were not able to undergo treatment of hemodialysis and gave more options for patients with ESRD. The development of peritoneal dialysis is important as it gives patients control over their disease.      It is important to note that there are two kinds of peritoneal d...

      Tony is a 36-year-old man who has been on hemodialysis for about 4 years ago. Previously to his diagnosis, he lived a very carefree life. He would say he worked hard and partied harder. He noticed his problems when there was blood in his stool and stomach aches. The doctor's diagnosed it as an intestinal problem, which was part of the problem, but the root of the problem was the undiagnosed kidney disease. Two years later, one of Tony's kidneys failed, leaving him with one functioning kidney. People can survive off of one kidney but the body needs to adapt to the stress and work that the one kidney is under. Tony began hemodialysis immediately to save the kidney.       For the past 4 years, Tony's health has remained steady with one kidney and attending dialysis 4 times a week. He goes to a clinic and is looking into at-home hemodialysis. With being diagnosed with kidney disease, Tony admits he is in pain almost 24/7 with sharp muscle pains and f...