Dialysis can be a life-saving technique for the individual whose kidneys are unable to remove toxic waste and excess water from the blood. But over time, the process can become both physically debilitating and psychologically difficult. To address these issues, kidney specialist Dr. Rich Snyder has written a complete guide to dialysis. This book not only provides answers to common questions about the process, but also offers practical advice and strategies, as well as complementary options that can help you deal successfully with the many aspects of your treatment plan. The book begins with an introduction to dialysis—what it is, how it works, and what types are available. It then goes on to discuss the importance of blood tests, common medications and their complications, and associated disorders. Crucial information is included on natural supplements, lifestyle changes, nutrition, and effective coping tactics. For most people, dialysis is an unplanned and uncharted journey. In this book, Dr. Snyder lights the path ahead by combining compassion with rock-solid information that can make a real difference in your health.

The revised, updated Fourth Edition of this popular handbook provides practical, accessible information on all aspects of dialysis, with emphasis on day-to-day management of patients. Chapters provide complete coverage of hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, special problems in dialysis patients, and problems pertaining to various organ systems. This edition reflects the latest guidelines of the National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) on hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis adequacy and on nutrition. New chapters cover chronic kidney disease management in predialysis patients, frequent daily or nocturnal hemodialysis, and hemodiafiltration. Chapters on venous and arteriovenous access have been completely revised. Each chapter provides references to relevant Web sites.

A revolutionary program that can indefinitely postpone the need for dialysis If you've been diagnosed with kidney failure, this book could save your life. If you suffer from diabetes, hypertension, obesity, or any of a host of conditions that put you at risk for kidney disease, you owe it to yourself to read what is in this book. If you are among the 60,000 North Americans who go on dialysis each year, the information in this book could substantially improve your quality of life. In Coping with Kidney Disease, a leading expert tells you, in plain English, what you need to know to: * Understand kidney failure * Recognize early warning signs of kidney failure * Get a proper diagnosis * Talk with your doctors about it * Confidently evaluate treatment options * Take charge of your treatment * Delay dialysis or even avoid the need for it altogether The centerpiece of Coping with Kidney Disease is Dr. Walser's revolutionary 12-step program for avoiding dialysis. Based on treatments he has pioneered with his own patients at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the program calls for a supplemented low-protein diet supported by treatments to control blood pressure and correct high cholesterol. So effective has this breakthrough strategy proven to be that in many patients it actually worked to slow or arrest the progression of kidney failure to the end stage. Knowledge is power. Coping with Kidney Disease empowers you with what you need to take charge of kidney disease.

A comprehensive reference covering all aspects of the clinical management of adult and child dialysis patients. This edition includes seven new chapters including one on EPO use in dialysis patients and one on the HIV positive patient.

More than 400,000 people in the United States undergo kidney dialysis. If you or a member of your family are one of them, then the prospect of a regular appointment with a dialysis machine may seem like the end of life itself. But that reaction couldn't be more wrong. In Dialysis Without Fear, psychiatrist and dialysis patient Dr. Daniel Offer joins with his wife, Marjorie Kaiz Offer, and daughter, Susan Offer Szafir, to reveal how life can be lived--and lived well--on dialysis. Drawing on his long medical career and more than seven years of personal experience with dialysis, Dr. Offer dispels many misconceptions surrounding this treatment, explaining how you can adapt to the new diet, travel, work and continue to partake in life's joys and celebrations. But the fears and hardships can be quite real, and Dr. Offer brings his years as a psychiatrist to bear as he provides practical advice on how patients can overcome them. Walking through each step of dialysis, he explains different types of treatment, examines the pros and cons of a transplant, and discusses side effects. Since dialysis affects the entire family, Dr. Offer and his coauthors also provide realistic insights into how relatives can cope and thrive together, sharing the humor, courage, and triumphs of real families who have successfully faced the challenges of dialysis. The result is an inspiring, practical guide that will help you and your family learn to overcome the difficulties of dialysis, live without fear, and enjoy every day.

Here's an in-depth, quick-reference, problem-solving resource for those involved in the care of dialysis patients. More than 120 world-class authorities discuss dialysis techniques, mechanical considerations, and complications related to various diseases for both pediatric and adult patients. Selected annotated references and excellent cross-referencing between chapters help you find answers fast, and more than 100 photos, drawings, charts, and tables, mostly in color, clarify complex topics. Providing practical, immediately useful guidelines that can be applied directly to patient care, this book is a "must-have" for all dialysis caregivers. Presents the practice-proven experience of top experts in the field of dialysis treatment. Offers dialysis guidance for both adult and pediatric patients in one convenient source. Features a readable hands-on approach, allowing you to quickly review the complicated concepts of dialysis. Includes helpful annotated bibliography lists in each section for further in-depth research on any subject. Explains complex dialysis concepts through abundant diagrams, photos, line drawings, and tables. Features a new 4-color format, enabling you to find the guidance you need more quickly. Includes coverage of convective dialytic therapies and the results of recent clinical trials. Ensures that you keep current on pediatric dialysis concerns prevention and treatment with new chapters including prevention and treatment of bone disease, management of anemia, assessing quality of life in pediatric patients undergoing dialysis, and immunizations in children undergoing dialysis.