Developed by the National Collaborating Centre for Chronic Conditions at the Royal College of Physicians
There are around 100,000 people in the UK with the combination of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and a low haemoglobin level. Anaemia in this context is important because it contributes significantly to the heavy symptom burden of CKD, and because it is potentially reversible with appropriate treatment, including erythropoietin.
There is no doubt that symptoms would be improved in many patients with CKD if anaemia were to be managed optimally. We hope and expect that this guideline will make a significant contribution to improve the lives of the patients who suffer from this debilitating condition.
The present guideline has been commissioned by NICE to address the appropriate management of anaemia of CKD for patients in the NHS. It includes all the details of the comprehensive review of clinical and economic evidence and sets out the rationale behind the Guideline Develoment Group's recommendations which cover:
- inital assessment
- correcting anaemia
- maintaining stable haemoglobin
- monitoring
For all those involved in managing this condition, including those affected by the increasing move to care provision in primary care, this will be an invaluable source of information for individualising care and involving patients in decision making.