[Kidney diseases in the elderly from the internal medicine viewpoint. Diagnosis and therapy]

In the conservative and dialysis treatment of renal disease in the elderly, the methods employed are the same as those applied in the young patient. The various procedures for the qualitative and quantitative determination of protein in the urine are non-stressful and therefore of special value in the old patient. The diagnostic usefulness, in particular for follow-up observation of renal disease, is very high. With respect to the use of dialysis in the elderly, the various methods of peritoneal dialysis-CAPD, IPD and CCPD-have all proved beneficial. Since they do not particularly stress the circulatory system, they can be used in patients with coronary heart disease, arterial occlusive disease, or hypertension. For the choice of therapeutic procedure, the individual assessment of his life situation by the patient himself is of major importance.