Chronic Kidney Disease (Research Paper Sample)

Chronic Kidney Disease
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Glenda’s Case
Chronic Kidney disease is a major killer disease in Australia especially among the aboriginals. The ability to manage chronic kidney failure is very important because it is a disease that affects millions of people within Australia especially the Aboriginals who are at a higher risk to the disease. It is a disease that is prevalent mainly among the middle age as well as the old within the Australian society. In this article we will look at Glenda: an aboriginal lady with symptoms of Chronic Renal Failure. We will critically analyze the results of her test as well as carry out further tests to determine the main cause of her condition. We will look at the factors that might have contributed to her condition focusing also on the prevalence of chronic renal failure in Australia. Lastly we will state all the treatment options that Glenda should apply to deal with her situation.
Looking keenly at Glenda’s symptoms, we get the notion that she might be suffering from a severe disease. From the investigation, the main cause of her illness was found to be an advanced uremic syndrome. The primary cause of this disease, as witnessed from the investigation, was found to be due to extreme creatinine in her blood as well as the existence of pruritus. The condition first slows down the functioning of the renal system and then affects other body functions thus making it lethal to the body in the long run.
The advanced uremic syndrome is closely related to chronic kidney disease (CKD), Brown et al., (2014) suggests that the 5th stage of chronic renal failure is very similar to chronic kidney disease (CKD). The investigation into the blood samples from Glenda revealed that she had an estimation of 3 ml/min/1.73m2 glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) based on the serum creatinine. From that revelation, we can make a conclusion that she has kidney failure (ESRD) (Martini et al., 2012).
Our kidneys are some of the busiest organs we have in our bodies. The two organs combined help in the purification of between 120 to 150 quarts of blood. They help in the production of urine that is a mixture of unwanted as well as extra fluids from the body. During this process, they help by producing certain hormones and enzymes that get used in controlling the production of other body fluids. A dysfunction in our renal system has very catastrophic results to our bodies. It leads to accumulation of toxic wastes in our bloodstreams the body. Such accumulation leads to certain conditions that may prove fatal to the body if not checked in turn. These are the conditions that lead to renal diseases such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) that Glenda is suffering (Marieb & Hoehn, 2013).
Looking at Glenda’s condition, we find out that the data from the laboratory test has revealed some abnormal results. The results showed her having higher serum creatinine as well as the urea level in her blood sample. The level of potassium and urea levels was also quite high above normal levels at six mmol/L and 45 mmol/L respectively. However, the results showed a lower hematocrit level of 0.20 compared to average levels. Her creatinine clearance rate was also very low at only 8.2 mL/min (Lascano et al., 2013). A combination of all these substances at their respective levels may be the reason as to why Glenda was experiencing the signs and symptoms. Such a combination significantly affects several systems of the body and may lead to certain side effects. Glenda’s anorexia and nausea may be due to her bloodstream having a higher level of urea. The high urea percentage causes irritation and inflammation in GI tract that contribute to anorexia (NKUDIC, 2015).
Glenda’s CKD also causes anemia that is a major inhibitor of the formation of red blood cells. Anemia first leads to a reduction in the renal erythropoietin secretion that plays a significant role in regulating the production of RBCs in the body. In Glenda’s case, the production of RBCs in her body was reduced leading to a low count of RBCs in the body. The low RBCs count means a lower level of hemoglobin which thus causes a decrease in the supply of oxygen to the body tissues (Tostivint et al., 2012). The low oxygen supply to body tissues led to some neurological changes to her body. The signs and symptoms of such changes in the body include fatigue that Glenda was complaining about as well as her poor concentration ability. Glenda also complained of itchy skin that may have been due to the deposition of calcium phosphate in the skin and dry skin (Bullock & Hales, 2012).
The investigation into Glenda’s condition also revealed that she could have been suffering from hypertension as shown by her blood pressure that was 156/ 97 mmHg. Such pressure would be catastrophic to her renal arteries and could reduce the supply of blood to them. The kidney would react by forming hormones to help them retain fluid in the body. There is also the inflammation that occurs in the pericardial sac (pericarditis) due to this condition. Such inflammation causes certain symptoms such as chest pains as well as other signs (Pragna et al. 2011).
In Glenda’s case, there is a need to carry out a thorough investigation to reveal more information on her condition. More information about her history is necessary to determine the previous diseases that might have contributed to her current situation. Further tests should be carried out on her hemoglobin and platelets tests in order to check her anemia. Another test should be done to determine if she has arrhythmia due to hyperkalemia that considered as a high-risk factor (The Merck Manual Professional, 2015). Hemodialysis should be carried out on her as soon as possible.
Glenda’s condition chronic kidney disease (CKD) occurred due to certain factors. These factors are either modifiable or non-modifiable. Her medical history revealed that she had suffered certain diseases such as hypertension and glomerulonephritis. These conditions form the modifiable factors that might have contributed to her current state. She was also found to have been a heavy smoker, as well as a heavy drinker. Her eating habits were poor, and she did not engage in physical activity thus raising her cholesterol level. All these factors make up her modifiable factors that contributed to her CKD (Bullock et al. 2014). Glenda’s history reveals her to have suffered glomerulonephritis that might have led to her kidney disease. The hypertension was catastrophic to her blood vessels as they interfered by the vessels’ walls thus reducing the flow of blood to her kidneys. According to Bullock and Hales (2012), the two diseases are among the leading causes of CKD with diabetes mellitus the leading in Australia today (Kidney Health Australia, 2010).
Some non-modifiable factors may have also caused Glenda's CKD. These are the factors that she had no control over such as age. Her family history of kidney disease also may have played a role into her suffering this disease. The history of such disease in her community must also be established to find out whether it is a common disease among members of her community. Glenda’s age may have been a factor since as we grow; our kidneys undergo some anatomical changes that may turn lethal at a certain age. These anatomical changes include a reduction in the size and weight of her kidney by upto30% (Renal Resource Centre, 2010). The family medical history is also important since if any family member is found to have suffered some kidney disease then the other family members would be at risk to the same disease. The fact that her aboriginal community was at higher risk of kidney disease compared to other communities may also have played a role in her getting the disease.
There are several ways in which to manage CKD patients and it mainly depends on certain factors. The primary factor is the stage at which the disease has reached. The main purpose of managing CKD is to reduce the rate at which it affects an individual and also to minimize some of the side effects that might arise. Management of CKD should also be done to patients who are at risk for the disease to reduce their chances of catching the disease (Brown & Edwards, 2014). In the early stage, patients suffering from hypertension and diabetes should frequently be checked to ensure they do not develop CKD. Recurrent UTIs might also lead to CKD and so patients with such must take precaution. Thorough tests must be carried out on patients to check in their blood, urine, as well as the blood pressure (Vanholder, R., & Desmet, 2014). Other management strategies for early stage renal failure would be to ensure one eats only foods that do not aggravate the condition. Sensitization about the disease should be done to the patients to give them an insight into what is required of them to help them manage the disease.
When a patient reaches the moderate stage renal failure, the management strategies should be improved while some of the strategies applied in the early stage should get maintained. The diet of the patient must not include high sodium r potassium levels. Any slight changes in the patient’s metabolism should get checked as well as any other signs. The end stage renal failure will lead to the patient facing several complications. The symptoms of the end stage renal failure include certain secondary complications such as bone disease, uremic syndrome, and hyperkalemia among other related complications (Kidney Health Australia, 2010). From here the patients should be given the necessary treatment as required for the disease. The first options for treating renal failure would be to carry out haemo, peritoneal dialysis or perform a kidney transplant.