Acute kidney failure?

My dad has had acute kidney failure for the past 2 year and has been attending dialysis 3 times per week during this period.Over the last 6 months he has been having what the doctors call "mini strokes" that have only lasted 30 secs to a minute,feeling ok afterwards.Tuesday whilst attending hospital for his analysis he had another mini stroke in which he was blacked out for 20 mins.
I have all sorts of thoughts going around in my head that this is a sign of my dads deterioration and it is only a matter of time until his death.Am i stupid to have these thoughts or am i right to be concerned?

You are right to be concerned Stan, but you really need to speak to the medical staff caring for your Dad and ask for more information.

Mini strokes are known as Transient Ischeamic Attacks. Transient because they are short and pass quickly, often leaving the patient with short term symptoms such as slurred speech, numbness or tingling to the face or down the arms. Ischeamic is the medical term for lack of blood supply, a section of the brain will experience a temporary reduction in blood flow, as it becomes starved of oxygen it begins to loose it's function and would eventually die.

The brain is suppled with oxygen rich blood by the carotid arteries, one on each side of your neck. Over the course of our lives, our arteries can become coated with fatty plaques. This causes a narrowing of the artery meaning that less blood can flow through them. Sometimes small lumps of these plaques can come loose and in the case of the carotids become lodged in the brain blocking blood flow causing a TIA or full stroke.

This is only an example of how a TIA may be caused, other causes are possible, especially in view of you Dads kidney failure, it's best to ask the Doctors for more information regarding your Dad.

Treatments can range from drugs to make the blood less sticky all the way up to surgery to clean out the furred up artery.

I hope this is usefull, and that things work out well for you and your family.

You REALLY must talk to the docs - be assertive, you're entitled to know the prognosis on your Dad - any advice you get on here will be questionable! Take care GB

Your right to be concerned. Acute renal failure is a serious life threatening condition. It may not be linked to the mini strokes which can be a totally seperate issue.

acute kidney failure is something that is accute, will pass. It's not permament