Management of Chronic Kidney Disease and its Complications

Management of early renal failure helps in the reduction or prevention of end-stage renal disease. The monitoring of renal function is discussed, and the chapter includes a table that shows commonly used methods for monitoring. Risk factors for chronic renal failure include stroke and cardiac disease. Risk factors for renal disease progression are diabetes mellitus, hypertension, proteinuria, smoking, protein intake, and hyperlipidemia. Complications of chronic renal failure that are addressed include sodium and water imbalance, potassium imbalance, acidosis, calcium and phosphorus imbalance, and anemia. There is also a section that discusses the case for early referral to a nephrologist. Tables present the equations used to estimate the glomerular filtration rate (GFR); stages of chronic kidney disease and the appropriate steps in their management; risk factors for chronic kidney disease in which the testing of proteinuria and estimation of GFR are indicated; appropriate diet for patients who have chronic kidney disease; and guidelines for diagnosing and treating anemia resulting from chronic kidney disease. An algorithm outlines the steps in management of calcium and phosphate in patients with kidney disease. This review contains 3 figures, 10 tables and 50 references Key Words End-stage renal disease, chronic kidney disease, glomerular filtration rate, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease, Proteinuric renal disease, Hyperuricemia