Evaluation of main etiologic factors in individuals with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) is characterized by progressive reduction of kidney function. When his terminal stage settles, it becomes necessary to implement some of the modalities of Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT) as, for example, hemodialysis (HD). Objective: To identify the most prevalent etiologies in patients with CRF in HD. Method: We reviewed 80 medical records and observed data such as ethnicity, gender, age, educational level and etiology of CRF. Results: Of the total sample, 72.5% suffered from High Blood Pressure (HBP), 32.5% with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) type 2, and 25% had both diseases. With respect to the level of education, only 27.5% had completed elementary school. Conclusion: The creation or drastic overhaul of campaigns aimed at preventing the complications of HBP and DM, especially among individuals with low education, could possibly contribute to reducing the number of cases of CRF, reducing costs to health systems and especially improving quality of life of affected individuals, which may prevent or at least delay their admission into programs of RRT.