The Lifespan of Patients with High Creatinine Level But without Dialysis

If you are a patient with kidney failure, you may be wondering what happens when you start dialysis. For many people with kidney failure, dialysis or a kidney transplant enables them to live longer and enjoy their quality of life. I often see patients in my office who refuse dialysis (should it become necessary) for their advancing kidney disease. If you are a patient on dialysis, you may be thinking about what happens if you decide to stop treatment. There is a lot of information that can help here, but no way of telling exactly what will happen to any one person.

Without dialysis, toxins build up in the blood, causing a condition called uremia. The patient will receive whatever medicines are necessary to manage symptoms of uremia and other medical conditions. Depending on how quickly the toxins build up, death usually follows anywhere from a few days to several weeks.

As the toxins build up, a person may experience certain physical and emotional changes. The body has a normal, natural way to prepare itself to stop. Understanding what’s happening can help the patient’s friends and family members prepare to help their loved one. In the final days, the body starts to shut down. In most instances, the shut-down is an orderly series of physical changes which may include:

Loss of appetite and fluid overload

Sleeping most of the day

Restlessness

Visions of people who don’t exist

Disorientation, confusion and failure to recognize familiar faces

Changes in breathing (Normal breathing patterns may become shallow, irregular, fast or extremely slow. There may be periods of breathing that sound like panting. Exhaling may create a moan-like sound. This is not distress, but the sound of air passing over the vocal cords. Changed breathing patterns indicate decreased circulation in the internal organs and buildup of waste products. Elevating the head and/or turning onto the side may increase comfort.)

Congestion (If saliva and mucus collect in the back of the throat, you may hear a gurgling sound. While the sound can be distressing to hear, it’s a normal response to a fluid imbalance and the inability to cough up normal secretions. It may help to raise the head. Turning the head to the side allows gravity to drain the congestion.)
Changes in color and skin temperature

Patients who choose to stop or not start dialysis are not required to eat or take in fluids. In most cases, a patient is allowed to eat or drink if they want to, but forcing fluids or nutrition is not recommended.

Medicines can be given for pain, anxiety, agitation or congestion. However, other medicines are often stopped when a person decides to quit dialysis treatments, since treating the chronic medical conditions is no longer a priority.

As the body’s systems shut down, a person slips into unconsciousness and the heart stops beating.

Most people who pass away from kidney failure have what family members and caregivers describe as a “good death.” A study reported that patients who discontinued dialysis described a good death as pain-free, peaceful and brief. The patients’ families echoed this sentiment, adding a good death included having loved ones present at the end. This is my email kidneyfight@hotmail.com, if you have any questions , you can send me email. Our doctor reply you in the 24 hours.