Kidney Disease: End-Stage Renal Disease

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Internal Medicine

Background:

• End-stage renal disease (ESRD) impacts 745,000 individuals in the U.S.
• Patients require renal replacement therapy (RRT) or supportive care.
• RRT includes peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, or kidney transplantation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline management strategies for patients with ESRD.
• To describe available RRT options and their characteristics.
• To highlight the importance of supportive and palliative care.

Main Methods:

• Review of current treatment modalities for ESRD.
• Comparison of dialysis access methods (fistula, graft, catheter).
• Discussion of supportive care and complication management.

Main Results:

• No significant long-term mortality differences between peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis.
• Vascular access for hemodialysis varies in usability and infection risk.
• Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for eligible candidates.

Conclusions:

• ESRD management involves RRT, supportive care, and complication management.
• Patient preference and candidacy are crucial in treatment decisions.
• Palliative and hospice care are indicated for patients opting out of RRT.