Renal Replacement Therapy
Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is a term used to refer to modalities of treatment that
are used to replace the waste filtering functions of a normal kidney. Renal
replacement therapy replaces nonendocrine kidney function in patients with
renal failure. Techniques include intermittent hemodialysis, continuous
hemofiltration and hemodialysis, and peritoneal dialysis. All modalities
exchange solute and remove fluid from the blood, using dialysis and filtration
across permeable membranes.
Dialysis and filtration can be done intermittently or continuously. Continuous
therapy is used exclusively for acute renal failure; benefits over intermittent
therapy are improved tolerability as a result of slower removal of solute and
water.
In the early stages of chronic kidney disease, patients can manage their health by
maintaining a proper diet and taking the appropriate medication. However, if kidney
function declines to less than 15% of normal, medications and a proper diet may need
to be used with other therapies. At this point, patients need to consider alternative
ways to managing their kidney health. Renal replacement therapies include dialysis,
transplantation and non-dialytic care.
Acute kidney insufficiency (AKI) causes progressive deterioration in the regulation of
body acid-base balance, as well as electrolyte and fluid balance. In such a setting, RRT
is essential to assist the body to survive ensuing metabolic derangements.
Researchers have noted that dialysis, which is one of the most common RRT used,
cannot compensate for all the tasks performed by a kidney, and thus the term ‘renal
support therapy’ has been suggested to be a better name.
Dialysis is a form of treatment for people living with kidney disease. Unfortunately it
does not cure kidney disease or fully replace proper kidney function. It is a procedure
that artificially removes waste and excess water from the blood. This procedure helps
the body to function normally. There are two types of dialysis that are used to treat
end-stage renal disease. The two types of dialysis are peritoneal dialysis and
hemodialysis, which will be discussed in the next section.
Peritoneal dialysis is a medical treatment that involves using the peritoneal
cavity within your body. The peritoneal cavity is the area inside the abdomen. The
Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is a term used to refer to modalities of treatment that
are used to replace the waste filtering functions of a normal kidney. Renal
replacement therapy replaces nonendocrine kidney function in patients with
renal failure. Techniques include intermittent hemodialysis, continuous
hemofiltration and hemodialysis, and peritoneal dialysis. All modalities
exchange solute and remove fluid from the blood, using dialysis and filtration
across permeable membranes.
Dialysis and filtration can be done intermittently or continuously. Continuous
therapy is used exclusively for acute renal failure; benefits over intermittent
therapy are improved tolerability as a result of slower removal of solute and
water.
In the early stages of chronic kidney disease, patients can manage their health by
maintaining a proper diet and taking the appropriate medication. However, if kidney
function declines to less than 15% of normal, medications and a proper diet may need
to be used with other therapies. At this point, patients need to consider alternative
ways to managing their kidney health. Renal replacement therapies include dialysis,
transplantation and non-dialytic care.
Acute kidney insufficiency (AKI) causes progressive deterioration in the regulation of
body acid-base balance, as well as electrolyte and fluid balance. In such a setting, RRT
is essential to assist the body to survive ensuing metabolic derangements.
Researchers have noted that dialysis, which is one of the most common RRT used,
cannot compensate for all the tasks performed by a kidney, and thus the term ‘renal
support therapy’ has been suggested to be a better name.
Dialysis is a form of treatment for people living with kidney disease. Unfortunately it
does not cure kidney disease or fully replace proper kidney function. It is a procedure
that artificially removes waste and excess water from the blood. This procedure helps
the body to function normally. There are two types of dialysis that are used to treat
end-stage renal disease. The two types of dialysis are peritoneal dialysis and
hemodialysis, which will be discussed in the next section.
Peritoneal dialysis is a medical treatment that involves using the peritoneal
cavity within your body. The peritoneal cavity is the area inside the abdomen. The
