Dialysis is a treated indicated for patients with kidney failure and it is a treatment wherein a machine is used to filter and clean your blood of waste products. Although dialysis is a life-saving procedure, it has some major impact on quality of life which leads some patients to refuse or discontinue it. The problem is what will happen if a patient refuses dialysis.
Time left
What happens if a patient refuses dialysis? This means that wastes accumulate in the body and the end result is death. The time between cessation of dialysis and death is various-it can be days or weeks. The time left would depend on the type of kidney failure and the general health status of the patients.
Quality of life
Many studies show that chronic kidney failure patients have some discomfort but they are seldom in pain unless there are other complications. Death from kidney failure has been described as getting sleepier and drowsier as the organs shut down. Chronic kidney failure patients are more likely to die at home than in a hospice and end-of- life care issues are seldom discussed with this group of patients.
Physical and emotional changes
As the toxins build up, a person may experience certain physical and emotional changes. Physical changes may include
Loss of appetite and fluid overload
Sleeping most of the day
Restlessness
Changes in breathing. Normal breathing patterns may become shallow, irregular, fast or extremely slow.
Changes in color and skin temperature
Dialysis is not the only one option for kidney failure patients. If injured kidneys are repaired and kidney function is improved, it is possible for patients to eliminate dialysis. Nowadays the new kidney failure treatment Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy is commonly used to repair impaired kidneys and improve kidney function. As long as kidney function is improved, kidneys can work by their own. In this condition, there is no need to continue dialysis any more.