Step-father with kidney failure......

[090308health]

Hi, my step-father recently suffered from kidney failure in the spring of this year (2003). He had been feeling bad prior to the failure; his blood pressure had been running really high on and off, and he just seemed to feel terrible. When he had got so sick he couldn`t make it anymore, my mom rushed him to the E.R. where they were told his kidneys had failed. His medical history was  good before the kidney failure, other than the high blood pressure, and a drug problem he had had. He had taken the drug "Loracet" on and off since around 1994. He had finally broken himself from the drug right before he got sick, but his blood pressure remained high and was controlled by B.P. pills. After his kidneys failed, we weren`t really sure what might have caused it. He was overweight, and had been experiencing a stressful life around the time his blood pressure was high, right before the kidney failure. He is now on kidney dialysis 3 days a week, and he is considering a kidney transplant. He is 44 years old, and his full blooded sister is considering donating to him, she is around his age. What might have caused his kidneys to fail? Might it have been the blood pressure, or the drug "Loracet"? And is he a good candidate for a transplant? If so, how successful are these transplants? Thank you for your time....

[Kevin Pho, MD]

There are many causes of kidney failure.  A good description of the causes can be seen here:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000501.htm

Lorcet is a form of hydrocodone and acetaminophen.  To my knowledge, kidney failure is not one of the recognized side effects.  

Given what you have told me, high blood pressure can certainly cause renal failure after an extended period of time.  As for an acute cause, you may want to investigate the causes in the article I cited above.  

Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage renal disease. A successful kidney transplant improves the quality of life and reduces the mortality risk for most patients, when compared with maintenance dialysis.  

As for whether he is a good candidate - this is a complex question.  This link would suggest various tests to ensure that your step-father is an appropriate candidate:
http://www.kidneytransplant.org/patientguide/pretransplantevaluation.html

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.

[t_anunson]

0

[Nancy703]

0

[t_anunson]

0