Why is my father's creatinine level not coming down with dialysis?

Q: My father is suffering from chronic renal failure and Gullain Barre Syndrome (GBS). He has been undergoing dialysis for the past 6-7 months. His creatinine level has been low after dialysis. But in the past 2-3 weeks his creatinine level is not going down and is at 7 even after dialysis. The doctors have advised dialysis thrice in 15 days instead of once a week, which was even reduced to once in 15 days two months back. Why is his creatinine level not going down?

A:Once the kidney function is irreversibly damaged to less than 10%, then one requires dialysis which has to be done thrice a week for 4 hours each time. With dialysis urea & creatinine come down but by next dialysis (in 3 days the urea & creatinine will be up again as the kidney function is not sufficient to get rid of the waste products (we measure some of these as urea & creatinine).Once a week or once in 15 days dialysis is not adequate dialysis. Adequate dialysis is usually 3 times a week. Your father is not getting adequate dialysis.