Nutrition: From the physiological bases to hemodialysis patient care

Abstract

Dialysis can worsen the nutritional status of dialysis patients and malnutrition worsens treatment prognosis. Hence, specific and personal nutritional therapy, with proper food intake, has a decisive role on the positive prognosis of chronic kidney disease patients undergoing hemodialysis. This chapter will cover the metabolic changes caused by chronic kidney disease which serve to guide appropriate nutritional therapy. The nutritional recommendations for the chronic kidney disease patient undergoing hemodialysis will be approached by their historical aspect and under the light of the current consensus and controversies. Assuming that appropriate food intake is challenging for the patient and for the healthcare team, the chapter will present a discussion on the etiological factors of inappropriate food intake by hemodialysis patients and the current strategies for overcoming this difficulty. Finally, the chapter will cover the perspectives and innovations of nutritional therapy during hemodialysis in order to improve food intake and the quality of life of hemodialysis patients. © 2012 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.