Uremia Therapy

Abstract

Few universally fatal diseases have benefited from therapy to the extent that irreversible uremia has responded to maintenance hemodialysis and renal transplantation. Before 1960, when Scribner and co-workers devised a regimen for repetitive hemodialysis¹ every chronic uremic patient with the exception of monozygotic twin kidney recipients had no hope of living more than a few weeks once residual renal function fell below a creatinine clearance of 2 ml/min. In 1980, a choice of three effective therapies, each capable of prolonging useful life for years, are available to preempt death in renal failure (Figure 1).