Clinical treatment of chronic renal failure

Abstract

Chronic renal failure is a syndromic diagnosis caused by various diseases. Regardless of the etiology, the loss of a certain number of functioning nephrons triggers common processes involving glomerular hemodynamics and growth factors, inflammatory mediators, and others that lead to glomerular sclerosis and interstitial fibrosis in a rogressive cycle of deterioration of the glomerular filtration. Physicians often underestimate the prognostic and therapeutic consequences of this process, which begins when biochemical and clinical findings are still apparently normal. Almost half of the patients who reach end-stage renal disease did not have proper medical assistance or even previous knowledge of the situation. Late referral to a nephrologist has been widely discussed as it increases the morbi-mortality of uremic patients, before andafter the beginning of dialysis, and as it increases treatment costs. Our objective is to provide general guidelines regarding the conservative treatment of chronic renal failure, suggesting measures that should be understood and carried out by, or together with, those indicated by a nephrologist. The treatment of end-stage renal disease patients includes: an approach to the primary renal disease and to additional acute renal damages; preventing the progression of renal failure; treatment of comorbidities; treatment of uremia complications; monitoring of renal function and nutritional status; patient education and preparation for dialysis and transplantation. Nutritional therapy and control of arterial hypertension are important measures in order to prevent loss of renal function; however, other factors should also be considered.