RENAL FAILURE AND EFFECT ON LIFE

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease or renal failure is an important healthcare problem. Among chronic noncommunicable diseases, renal failure takes a special place, since it is widely spread: according to different studies, it occurs in 6–20% of the population. The progressive growth in numbers of patients with kidney disease is more recently regarded as a pandemic. This disease is associated with a sharp decline in the quality of life, high mortality and in its terminal stage, it leads to the need for costly methods of substitution therapy, such as dialysis and kidney transplantation. The aim of the study: to conduct an investigation and analysis of nursing roles in the process of providing care to patients with renal failure and to investigate the quality of life impact of this disease. Study objectives: to study the main causes, clinical presentation, treatment and prevention of renal failure; to define basic knowledge and skills of the nurse for timely detection of renal failure in the patient; to determine the role of the nurse in management of patients with renal failure; to determine the role of the nurse in detecting the complications of chronic kidney disease and their treatment; to determine the role of the nurse in improving the quality of life of patients with renal failure. The methods of study: general clinical assessments, documentation of patient’s complaints, laboratory and imaging tests of kidneys and other organs, as well as functional tests, physical examination, general health assessment, collection of information on main complaints of patients with chronic kidney disease, data comparison methods, scientific methods for analysis of information and statistical methods. The authors have defined and evaluated basic nursing knowledge and skills for timely recognition of renal failure. This work included determination of specific features of work and nursing roles in treatment of patients with renal failure, determined the role of the nurse in detecting complications of chronic kidney disease and their treatment and determined the role of the nurse in improving the quality of life of patients with renal failure.