Introduction: Identification of causes and complications of chronic kidney disease in patients on dialysis is essential for improving the quality of patients’ life. Prevention and early detection of symptoms can enhance the provision of effective care. Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine causes and complications of chronic kidney disease in patients on dialysis. Method and Material: The study population consisted of all prevalent patients on peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis in the University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete. Causes of morbidity and hospitalizations were examined for all dialysis patients with at least one admission in the renal ward. Mortality was examined for a period of 33 months. An overall of 123 patients with diagnosed renal failure were studied. The data were collected through the patients’ medical records. Statistic analysis was performed by the use of the †Statistical Package of Social Sciences†(SPSS) v.17.0. Results: Out of the 123 patients with ESRD who participated in the study, 55.3% were men with a mean age of 65.3±15.2 years (range 16-85 years). The majority of patients (62.6%) were on HD, while 37.4% were on PD. The major cause which seems to be responsible for the occurrence of chronic kidney disease is diabetic kidney disease (19,5%), followed by glomerulonephritis (18,7%). The major causes of hospitalization were infections (37.9%), including bacteraemia due to central catheter infection (40.4%), peritonitis in PD patients (19.1%), gastroenteritis (12.8%), respiratory tract infections (12.8%), urinary tract infections (6.4%) and other infections (such as cholangitis, skin infections etc) 8.5%. Cardiac problems as a reason for hospitalization included pulmonary edema (57.1%), faint episodes, pulmonary embolism, decompensated heart failure and myocardial infarction (7.1% each). Conclusion: Two major causes of hospitalization emerged in this study: catheter related infections and pulmonary edema. Measures such as the vigorous assessment of the dry weight and avoidance of central cat.
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Medical and Health Sciences ▶ Health Sciences Nursing
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