Frequently asked questions about Chronic Kidney Failure

This is a result of the dry skin produced by chronic kidney disease and/or high phosphorus levels. You must use a moisturising body lotion every day and reduce your consumption of phosphorus-rich foods.

The toxins that accumulate in kidney disease patients are partly eliminated during respiration. It is very important to follow good dental hygiene practices and attend regular dental check-ups to try and minimise the bad breath.

These are potentially signs of an advanced stage of kidney disease.

Fatigue could be due to anaemia, which is often associated with chronic kidney disease, or a sign of a sudden decline in kidney function. In the former case, your doctor will instruct you to self-administer erythropoietin injections (using a small syringe) at a frequency that depends on each case.

This is often caused by an excess of potassium in the blood and so you must modify your diet because this excess is also toxic for the heart.

This could be due to an excess of fluids; consequently your volume of daily fluid intake should be checked and your dose of diuretics may need to be adjusted.

Use a clean gauze to apply pressure at the point of bleeding but without cutting off the circulation. You should notice the sound of the fistula on your finger.

The toxic substances and excess fluid produced by your body could eventually lead to death.

Once the doctor recommends you start dialysis treatment, then you will have to attend the sessions for the rest of your life, unless you receive a successful kidney transplant.

Discuss it with your nephrologist to ensure the dose is appropriate given the state of your chronic kidney disease.

It is a record of dialysis patients who are waiting to receive a kidney transplant from a deceased donor. There are currently less deceased donors than patients on the waiting list; this means the transplant waiting time is always growing longer. Patients who receive a transplant from living donors do not have to be placed on the waiting list. Patients can only be registered on a single waiting list for a public hospital. Waiting lists are rigorously controlled and updated with each patient’s clinical and immunological information.