Journal of Palliative Care & Medicine
Open Access

Description

It is known as chronic kidney disease in which the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is less than 30 ml/min. End-stage kidney disease patients may have a wide range of comorbidities. Palliative care is the need of the hour when it comes to a patient's quality of life. Palliative care can help with symptom control and advance care preparation, among other items. People with CKD and ESRD diseases should be incorporated with palliative care because these patients' life expectancy is drastically lowered and experience a variety of symptoms, including pain, nausea, itching, and sleep problems, which must be addressed. The cost of dialysis is significant for the patient and his or her family, as well as the government. Palliative care should be begun as soon as possible to resolve problems of pain as they occur. As CKD progresses, patients' treatment priorities frequently change from survival to quality of life, with a strong focus on mental, social, and family support. As a result, palliative treatment takes priority over disease-focused care, which will ultimately focus only on terminal, end-of-life care during the dying process. The word "kidney supportive treatment" refers to programmes aimed at enhancing the quality of life for patients with existing CKD at any age, at any point of their disease, and regardless of their life expectancy. To differentiate this type of treatment from end-of-life care, the international kidney community is increasingly using the word "kidney supportive care" rather than "kidney palliative care." Withdrawal from dialysis is linked to a rise in mortality in ESRD patients. There are no standardized requirements for approaching patients with this choice. Advanced age, white race, high comorbidity burden, female gender, higher physical pain index, and educational level are all correlated with dialysis withdrawal decisions.

Your palliative care team will work with you to relieve symptoms of kidney disease such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and kidney failure. Palliative care will assist you in making important medical choices, such as dialysis or a kidney transplant. Your palliative care team will assist you in determining whether or not dialysis is right for you. If your health is deteriorating and you are on dialysis, palliative care physicians will help you adapt to treating your condition without it. Patients who are candidates for a kidney transplant often seek palliative care before, during, and after the procedure. Whatever treatment choices you choose, the palliative care team will help you alongside your nephrologist and/or transplant team. Patients and their families benefit from palliative care because it offers emotional support. Additional therapies, such as massages, talk therapy, and relaxation techniques, can often be provided by your palliative care team to relieve emotional and spiritual stress.