How does anemia develop in patients with chronic renal failure?
Chronic renal failure leads to anemia because of two things. First and most importantly, the kidneys are where the hormone erythropoetin is created. This is a hormone which is directly responsible for the stimulation of red blood cell formation from the bone marrow. When the kidney tissue dies, so does this hormone producing function and anemia results. Treatment for renal failure related anemia needs to include the administration of pharmacologic erythropoetin, which is marketed as “Procrit”. Secondly, renal failure necessitates dialysis. Although there is something called “peritoneal dialysis” which does not involve the blood directly, most people undergo “hemodialysis” which involves plugging into the vascular system and pumping blood through a filtration mechanism which mimics the action of the kidney. This is blood destructive even in the best of circumstances, and some blood is left behind in the tubing circuit. Banked blood is sometimes added to the circuit when people go in for
