Monitoring Your Health
Every month, your doctor will check in to see how your dialysis prescription is working for you. You will have a series of tests to check the levels of certain substances in your blood. They are used to decide which medications or diet changes may be needed. These tests may include:
URR or Kt/V: This test checks how well your dialysis is working and tells your doctor how your treatments are working. They look at how much extra urea is removed from your blood during treatment. Although urea is just one waste product your body produces, how well it is removed is a clue to how well other wastes are removed.
Hemoglobin: Your blood will be taken to measure the amount of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen and iron to all of your cells. Most people with kidney failure have anemia, a shortage of red blood cells. When this happens, you may feel tired and weak. Your doctor will prescribe medication to treat your anemia and keep your hemoglobin in the target range, so you have more energy.
Calcium and phosphorus: These levels are checked so that you can keep them in a safe balance to make sure your bones stay healthy. If your calcium is too low or your phosphorus is too high, your doctor may prescribe phosphate binders to help. Your dietitian may also help you change your diet to help keep your calcium and phosphorus levels on track. Learn more about phosphorus and kidney disease in the video Put Phosphorus in Its Place.
Albumin: This test shows how much protein you have in your diet. Keeping the right amount of protein helps maintain your health. If you don’t have enough protein, you will become malnourished, and your body will steal protein out of your muscles. Your dietitian can help you change your diet if you need to.
Please Note: As the most important part of your care team, you should keep track of how well your treatments are doing. One way to do this is to keep a notebook or file of your lab results and ask your doctor, nurse, or dietitian when they are too high or too low.
