Renal (kidney) - dietetic services

The renal dietitian specialises in assessing nutritional requirements and food intake to renal (kidney) patients.

 

Diet is an important part of the management for kidney disease. The kidneys are essential at removing waste products from the body in the urine. These waste products can be affected by foods that are eaten. Patients who have kidney failure may be required to avoid or limit certain foods and drinks. Individually tailored advice is provided based on blood results, whether a patient is receiving dialysis or not and medical condition.

 

Dietitians work with patients who have kidney problems to keep them in the best nutritional status possible, in times of both health and illness.

 

Who we provide a service to

Our team of 4 renal dietitians is led by a principal renal dietitian, who alongside an advanced renal specialist dietitian supports and facilitates education, continuing professional development within the team, hospital and region.

 

Close links are maintained also with the renal satellite haemodialysis units at Kings Lynn and West Suffolk Hospitals.

 

The renal dietitians at Addenbrooke's provide a dietetic service to the following to the following areas:

• nephrology outpatient clinic
  
  
• low clearance outpatient clinic
  
  
• unit haemodialysis and home haemodialysis patients
  
  
• peritoneal dialysis
  
  
• Hinchingbrooke Hospital renal satellite haemodialysis unit
  
  
• Renal inpatients
  
  
• kidney transplant patients (regional centre for East Anglia)
  
  
• Kidney and pancreas transplant patients (regional centre for East Anglia and further afield)

 

Education

 

The renal dietitians at Addenbrooke's provide education to the following groups:

• ongoing nutrition education to healthcare professionals both locally and regionally.
  
  
• continuing professional development of renal dietitians.
  
  
• participation as members of the British Dietetic Association (BDA) Renal Nutrition Group and the East Anglian Renal Dietitians Interest Group (EARDIG).
  
  
• training of student dieticians in renal dietetics.

 

Why we provide a service

• Patients who are having dialysis are at a greater risk of malnutrition. During the pre-dialysis and dialysis periods, a patient can experience a poor appetite. Malnutrition in patients starting dialysis is a strong indicator of poor clinical outcome.
  
  
• The renal dietitian works to reduce or remove the risk of malnutrition, which can contribute to a reduced length of stay in hospital, reduced frequency of admissions, reduced infection rates and a reduced need for the use of special dietary products.
  
  
• As the kidneys lose their ability to filter waste, high phosphate and calcium levels can result in bone complications over time. Nutrition intervention, in conjunction with medication, can help control serum phosphate and calcium levels.
  
  
• Renal diets are very complex and require a lot of motivation and patient education to maintain the quality of life and current lifestyle practices. An experienced renal dietitian is required for the development of effective patient information.
  
  
• Renal dietitians are well placed to provide nutrition counselling to patients. Patient who have chronic renal failure are often long-term patients, and regular liaison with a renal dietitian provides good continuity of care. When the dietitian works as part of the multidisciplinary team, this enables referrals to be made to other professionals (eg doctors, nurses, social workers and counsellors) who are involved with other aspects of patient care in order to achieve nutritional requirements.
  
  
• Patients have a tendency to gain weight after a kidney transplant and, therefore, regular monitoring of their body weight at subsequent clinic appointments is important.

 

Useful links

 

Addenbrooke’s Kidney Patients Association (AKPA) – this also has useful links to Hospital information and other useful websites.
> Addenbrooke’s Kidney Patients Association (AKPA)

 

 

 

 

Back to top