Dialysis and medications?

Have you ever had a conversation with someone on dialysis? It’s enough to make your head spin from all the medical jargon they spew. But don’t worry, we’re here to help break it down for you in a way that won’t put you to sleep.

What is Dialysis?

Dialysis is a treatment option for people who have kidney failure. Essentially, it does what your kidneys can no longer do – removes waste and excess fluid from your blood. Dialysis comes in two forms: hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD).

Hemodialysis

Hemodialysis involves filtering the blood outside the body through an artificial kidney called a dialyzer. A machine pushes blood into the dialyzer where it cleanses by chemical processes before being returned back to your body.

Peritoneal Dialysism

On other hand, PD works by instilling sterile fluid inside of abdomen which then absorbs waste products present in our bloodstream; This process goes on few times throughout day and night depending upon need.

How does medication play a role?

Medication plays an essential role in every person’s life as well as those going through bad phase of renal function due to medications’ interaction with kidneys especially after bypassing their ability inclusion/elimination of certain substances leading towards adverse effects like hyperkalemia or more dangerous rhythm disturbance rhythms just like ventricular tachycardia! Here are few guidelines:

  1. Always consult your physician regarding medication regimen.
  2. Renally adjusted drug dosing according required adjustment factor while prescribing regime if necessary
  3. Reductions may be needed because reduced excretion via urine invokes increased serum levels thus affecting patient negatively.

Arid examples could include digoxin toxicity causing heart malfunction, overloading volume status aggravating hypertension or edema whilst ACE Inhibitors interacting many harmful ways.

Medications to Avoid

While some medications are necessary, there are a few that must be avoided altogether with dialysis patients. Here is a quick list of the common culprits:

  • Antibiotics: tetracyclines and ciprofloxacin can cause damage to kidneys
  • Pain Relievers: NSAIDs like aspirin, ibuprofen or sodium drugs could trigger acute kidney injury (AKI)
  • Contrast Dye: Nephrotoxic thus exacerbating renal function; alternative options such as gadolinium should be considered.

Remember, there is no complete exclusion from taking these medicines but under strict medical supervision only.

Monitoring Medication Levels

Patients incorporate intravenous administration during treatment which will impact their medication peripheral levels measured by system clearance parameter denoted by Kt/V– measure kinetic parameters involving fluid volumes – ensuring effective dialysis/choosing lifespans between sessions/removing impurities within bloodstream.

If values continue trending in upwards direction afterwards then we recommend checking drug concentration for more appropriate interval therapy settings – Done along with regular talks on compliance habits following consultations at every treatment appointment.

Conclusion

We hope this article has given you a better understanding of how dialysis affects medication use. It’s important to always consult your physician before starting or stopping any medications while on dialysis. With proper monitoring, medication adjustment and patient education though our filtration concerns shall lessen respectively!

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