Anemia is a condition in which the body has fewer red blood cells than normal. This has different etiologies and manifestations, but anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) may require a different management. This article outlines the course of anemia during CKD and its management. What are CKD and CKD-related anemia? CKD is characterized by the permanent, partial loss of kidney function. A person has kidney failure when he or she needs a kidney transplant or dialysis in order to live.
The two forms of dialysis include hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Hemodialysis uses a machine to circulate a person’s blood through a filter outside the body. Peritoneal dialysis uses the lining of the abdomen to filter blood inside the body. Anemia might begin to develop in the early stages of CKD when someone has 20 to 50% of normal kidney function. Anemia tends to worsen as CKD…
