Patient was educated why compliance should be observed with fluid intake recommendations in dialysis patients as follows:
- Fluid regulation and waste elimination in a normal individual is an ongoing and continuous function, performed by the healthy kidneys. Since it is a continuous process, backup of fluid does not happen and so, there is no need for fluid limitation.
- In individuals on dialysis, this function is totally limited to the time of dialysis appointment, three appointments a week, with each appointment running for about 3 hours.
- All the fluid consumed between two dialysis appointments is retained by the body and can act as an overload on the heart and can result in weakening of the heart muscle and progressive enlargement of the heart.
- Fluid backup can occur into the lungs too and results in episodes of extreme shortness of breath.
- So, fluid intake should be closely watched and strict compliance with the fluid intake recommendations should be observed in individuals on dialysis.
