Kidney Failure Patients with Susceptible Anemia, What is the Appropriate Therapy?

Liputan6.com, Jakarta – Anemia is a condition when the level of hemoglobin (Hb) or red blood cells is less than normal which can cause the transfer of oxygen to the body to be disrupted.

Perhaps many do not know that anemia is also related to chronic kidney disease with permanent damage to the kidneys which can no longer produce the hormone erythropoietin optimally.

Dr. Elizabeth Yasmine Wardoyo SpPD KGH explained from Fatmawati General Hospital, Jakarta, that anemia in patients with kidney failure is caused by various factors. This condition also has an impact on patient morbidity and quality of life.

Therefore, said Elizabeth, patients with kidney failure need to be treated for anemia by administering ESA or Erythoropoiesis Stimulating Agents which can slow progression, reduce morbidity and mortality, and improve quality of life.

“ESA can be given to kidney failure patients with Hb indications of less than 10 g/dl with certain conditions that must be met, such as no severe infection,” said Elizabeth in the webinar Anemia in Patients with Chronic Kidney Failure: What are the Impacts and Treatments’ which was held Etana recently.

Epo Injection for Kidney Failure Patients

The therapeutic process is carried out by injection. Epo injections, said Elizabeth, must be done regularly.

It’s just that, the current problem in Indonesia is that the provision of Epo has not been included in the financing of dialysis, so that there are still quite a lot of blood transfusions being carried out.

“In fact, it can be said that blood transfusions have risks if done to dialysis patients,” he said.