The subtlety of chronic kidney disease - need for health care providers to be at alert

Chronic kidney disease is usually silent at its earlier stages. Its complications affect virtually every organ and system in the body. Clinical features may be cryptic or atypical in nature and as such, may elude the health care worker. Findings from recent studies have shown that the knowledge of chronic kidney disease is inadequate among non-nephrologists. We therefore report a patient with previously undiagnosed chronic kidney disease who developed irrational behaviour and was taken to a nearby psychiatric hospital by relatives. There at the psychiatric hospital, an urgent renal function test was done and revealed deranged values. He was later referred to our institution where he was found to have a chronic kidney disease (CKD), the irrational behaviour been part of the manifestation of the uraemic syndrome. Health workers should equip themselves with knowledge of this disease in order to facilitate early detection and optimal care.