Kidney failure can be classified into several levels of severity, or stages. What are the symptoms and treatment in the early stages? Let's discuss this further.
The kidneys play a crucial role in the body because they perform numerous functions, helping to maintain proper metabolism. One type of kidney disease that causes a significant decline in kidney function is kidney failure.
Kidney failure can be broadly divided into two large groups based on the course of the disease, namely acute kidney failure or acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney failure or chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Stadium acute kidney injury
Classification of AKI conditions can be classified into RIFLE criteria to classify the level of severity.
Risk
There is an increase in serum creatinine of ≥ 1.5 times and a decrease in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of ≥ 25%. In addition, there is a decrease in urine output of < 0.5 ml/kg/hour for more than 6 hours.
Injury
There is a ≥ 2-fold increase in serum creatinine and a ≥ 50% decrease in GFR. Furthermore, there is a decrease in urine output of < 0.5 ml/kg/hour for more than 12 hours.
Failure
There is a ≥ 3-fold increase in serum creatinine and a ≥ 75% decrease in GFR. Furthermore, there is a decrease in urine output of < 0.3 ml/kg/hour for 24 hours or anuria for 12 hours.
Loss
There is persistent loss of kidney function for more than 4 weeks.
End-stage
There is persistent loss of kidney function for more than 3 months.
Stadium chronic kidney disease
Not only does AKI have a classification of its severity levels, but chronic kidney failure also has a classification that can categorize the severity of the course of the kidney failure disease experienced.
Stadium 1
GFR ≥ 90 ml/minute/1.73 m². In this phase, kidney function remains normal, but screening, such as a urine test, may reveal proteinuria or damage to the kidney structure.
Stadium 2
GFR is between 60-89 ml/minute/1.73 m². At this stage, signs of kidney damage begin to appear.
Stadium 3
GFR is between 30-59 ml/minute/1.73 m². At this stage, there are already signs of significant kidney damage.
Stadium 4
GFR between 15-29 ml/minute/1.73 m². In this phase, there is already severe interference with kidney function. At this stage, dialysis or hemodialysis can also be carried out routinely.
Stadium 5
GFR is <15 ml/minute/1.73 m². This stage is considered end-stage renal failure. Hemodialysis will require more frequent treatment, and if hemodialysis is no longer amenable to treatment, a kidney transplant may be considered by the treating physician.
What are the symptoms of early stage kidney failure?
Early-stage kidney failure may not cause significant symptoms, especially in cases of chronic kidney disease (CKD), where the disease progresses over a relatively long period. Furthermore, early-stage symptoms tend to be nonspecific, meaning similar symptoms can also be found in other diseases.
Common symptoms of early-stage kidney failure include fatigue or unexplained weakness. This can also be accompanied by changes in urination patterns. Urination may become more frequent, but urine volume tends to decrease. Foamy urine, caused by protein, may also be present, a condition known as proteinuria.
Because symptoms in the early stages tend to be non-specific, if you have certain risk factors or a family history of kidney failure, it is very important to undergo regular screening through medical check-ups to obtain early detection and appropriate treatment before various complications occur.
Written by Dr. Valda Garcia Reviewed by Dr. Ernest Eugene
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