In China, we definite the stages of renal insufficiency mainly according to
the level of serum creatine. The four stages are mainly as follows: compensation
stage, discompensation stage, early stage of renal failure, end stage of renal
failure.
In the first stage: compensation stage, there is nearly no symptom in clinic
for the kidney has a strong ability of compensation. When some of the renal
intrinsic cells are damaged, others will do more work such as filtrating blood,
which make serum creatinine is 133~177umol/L. In this stage, kidney can still
function and work well, so we call it compensation stage. We should pay
attention however that there has been damage in the kidney and the GFR has
decreased. Kidney can still discharge metabolism product, balance of
electrolyte, and so on.
The second stage is discompensation stage. In this stage, (High Creatinine Levels)serum creatinine is
177~443umol/L. The damaged renal glomerulus increases, which accounts for about
60% to 75%. The secretion function has been damaged, blood urea acid increases
as well. Kidney disease patients begin to have anemia, fatigue, weakness, lost
body weight, and so on. If they suffer from water lost, infection or bleeding,
the condition will develop faster.
The third stage is early stage of renal failure stage. In this stage, the
serum creatinine is 443-707umol/L. There are more necrotic renal glomerulus.
Renal fibrosis appears in renal tubules-renal parenchyma, renal blood vessels,
which leads to serious damage in the kidney. As for the symptoms, kidney disease
patients will have more obvious anemia, increased urine at night, and so on.
In the end stage of renal failure, serum creatinine is more than 707umoll/L.
In China, patients begin to take dialysis. The damaged renal glomerulus are more
than 95%. Patients with kidney disease will also have serious vomiting, little
urine, edema, high blood pressure and so on.