Your treatment

The usual function of the kidneys is to clean the blood and remove waste products from the body by making urine. Kidney disease occurs when an abnormality, infection, reduction, or loss of renal (kidney) function occurs. There are many things that can cause kidney disease and patients should discuss their situation with a renal consultant. If poor kidney function occurs, it may lead to renal failure.

Renal failure occurs when the kidneys are either working poorly or not at all. There are several symptoms and different stages before this happens and patients should discuss this with their doctor. This process can be acute or chronic.

In most cases, it is usual for the consultant to recommend renal replacement therapy. However before this happens, patients will meet with members of the renal team in order to make an informed choice about an appropriate course of treatment.

Patients with renal failure can often suffer from anaemia. To correct this, patients are given erythropoietin (EPO) by injection 2 – 3 times per week, based on the results of blood tests and the opinion of the consultant.

Most patients learn to give this injection themselves. Patients on this treatment will also need to test their blood pressure weekly and have monthly blood tests to monitor the progress of the treatment.