Addiction and Kidney Disease (Podcast)
Drug and alcohol addiction is not a topic we hear much about in the kidney community. However, it is a very real issue for some people living with kidney disease and their families. Well discuss this topic head-on with Bobby Walker, a kidney patient who has walked this difficult and painful path. This is one story you must hear.
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Anemia and CKD: What Every Patient Should Know
Patients with chronic kidney disease often suffer from anemia. Anemia is a condition characterized by low numbers of circulating red blood cells. This condition is easily detected by measuring hemoglobin in the blood. How low should the hemoglobin be before the patient with chronic kidney disease experiences symptoms depends on the severity of anemia and the activity level and tolerance of the patient.
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Are Fish Oil Supplements Right For You?
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), the "omega-3 fatty acids" found in fish, can reduce the risk of developing heart disease1. Fish oil supplements, which are about 30% omega-3 fatty acids, may be especially helpful for hemodialysis patients, especially those:
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Creating & Implementing the Rules for Dialysis (Podcast)
Congress passed legislation last year that will require CMS to write the rules on the payment policy for dialysis services. Mike Paget, who has many years experience in the dialysis community will explain how the renal community can be sure to be involved in the process. Any day now CMS will publish a "proposed rule" on the new payment policy for dialysis care, in the Federal Register. The community will have 60 days to comment, after which CMS will review the comments to establish the final rule. Listen to the show and learn how you an make an impact and what some of the key issues are.
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Dialysis Treatment During Disasters: Patient Opportunities and Responsibilities in Emergency Planning
Katrina and other devastating events in 2005 exposed problems in providing medical care to kidney patients in disasters as well as in providing food and shelter to the hundreds of thousands who were displaced from their homes. In response to the particular needs of kidney patients, the Kidney Community Emergency Response Coalition (KCERC) has formulated plans to ensure readily available dialysis care during disasters.
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DOPPS: Dialysis Outcomes Around the World (Podcast)
DOPPS stands for the Dialysis Outcomes Practice Pattern Study. This study was developed because there was a concern here in the US about 10 years ago that our kidney patients weren't living as long or doing as well as other kidney patients around the world, although there wasn't proof of this. Now this marvelous study reveals just how well we compare to other kidney patients in the other 12 countries studied. Did you know the police will be called to pick you up if you skip a dialysis treatment in ? No, it's not here in the U.S., but listen in to find out which country does this. Oh, wow! Would they come after you?
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Get Information, Get Tested, Get Hope! (Podcast)
Dr. Roberto Vargas works hard at preventing kidney disease, and working for the best outcomes if someone already has it. In this invaluable show, you will learn what the early warning signs of kidney disease mean, why some minority cultures are at higher risk, and the importance of getting tested, especially if there's been kidney disease in your immediate family. Dr. Vargas holds out hope for patients not to progress to a higher stage of CKD, and even, when conditions are favorable, to regress back to an earlier stage. This is a must-listen for everybody - diagnosed or not.
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Getting Off to the 'RightStart'
When she first started dialysis treatments, Maurita felt like there was a black cloud over her head. That's until she started the RightStart Program, an educational plan being tried in some clinics that helps patients starting dialysis better understand their dialysis treatment. Once she finished the program, she actually started looking forward to going to her treatments because she understood that they were helping her lengthen her life, to continue being with her family. Now, she even provides encouragement to other new patients. She says she hasn't felt this good in a long time.
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H1N1 Pandemic Flu 2009: Preparation, Prevention and Treatment
America is sending our children back to school with an expected surge in H1N1 influenza cases. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) H1N1 news briefing, the CDC states that H1N1 is unpredictable but can be a severe disease especially in people with chronic illnesses. To date, the composite Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of the current H1N1 flu pandemic is below 1% with most people infected making a full and complete recovery after a mild illness. However, the H1N1 2009 pandemic flu has many features differing from the usual seasonal flu which forebode the potential for adverse outcomes especially among people with chronic medical conditions including renal disease.
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Health Promotion, Disease Prevention, and Chronic Kidney Disease
These are but a few ways you can maintain a healthy lifestyle. As you take a more active role in your own healthcare, the benefits of increased energy, general well-being, and a potentially longer life are all possible.
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Herbal Supplements for the Kidney Patient: Caveat Emptor
When it comes to herbs, they should be thought of as diluted drugs and should not be taken before consulting your physician. If you are someone with kidney disease who may be contemplating purchasing OTC herbal medications, it would serve you well to consider the old phrase, caveat emptor, or "Let the buyer beware."
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How It All Got Started (Podcast)
Sometimes we learn best by taking a look at the past. Did you know there used to be a “life-and-death” committee that kidney patients had to get through before being accepted for dialysis treatments? Or did you know there used to be an age limit for receiving dialysis treatments? What about....Learn the fascinating history of dialysis this week on KidneyTalk. Lori and Stephen visit with guests Dr. Christopher Blagg, a pioneering nephrologist who was present when the concept of chronic dialysis became a reality, and Nancy Spaeth, a kidney patient survivor who was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 1959 and began hemodialysis in 1966.
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Immunosuppressant Drug Therapy & Generics
Generic medications are being offered or substituted for brand name medications. There are many generics on the market currently for blood pressure and lipids as well as organ transplant rejection meds.
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Informed, Committed, Understanding Legislators
We see our elected leaders on television, we read about them in the newspapers, and sometimes we even encounter them in person. Most of the time these elected officials are doing the talking—they tell us about themselves, their plans, their policies, and their problems.
Election season turns things around. Now, it's our turn to speak, and our leaders must listen. They know that to get our votes they will need to understand our interests and concerns.
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Is Anybody Listening? The Kidney Patient's Role in Doctor/Patient Communication
The question is, "Doctor, can you hear me?" The answer is, "Patient, are you listening?"
This question and this answer are repeated hundreds of times a day as physicians and patients interact. The real question is: "Is anybody listening?" The real answer is: "Very few people are listening."
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It's About Choice: A Benefits vs. Burdens Analysis
"If I couldn't see my life improving on dialysis, I wouldn't want to live."
Many patients make similar statements to show how they feel or how they think when faced with the burdens of dialysis. If they are suffering losses in physical or mental function, they might see their quality of life falling to a level lower than what they could accept. They might choose to simply stop dialysis.
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Keeping Dialysis Units Up to Snuff (Podcast)
Spending time in dialysis units is what Glenda does to help protect Patients Rights. Observations, questions and inspections insure that units meet the minimum Medicare requirements. Listen and learn what your dialysis unit should provide to YOU-and what it doesn't. Glenda Payne has been a nurse for over 30 years and works for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as an educator and surveyor.
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KidneySchool.org: It Might Just Save Your Life! (Podcast)
Dori Schatell, Executive Director of the Medical Education Institute, visits KidneyTalk to talk with Lori and Stephen about the Institute's Kidney School (www.kidneyschool.org). No, it doesn't have a football team, and no cheerleaders (Stephen was so disappointed), but this online educational program for people with kidney disease consisting of 16 interactive modules of about 20 minutes each will tell you something that makes a difference in your life!
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Of Loss and Transcendence: Stories From "Healing Through Times of Trouble" (Part One)
Illness awakens an army of ancient thugs: family troubles, old hurts, guilt, fear, resentment of those in power, and our own powerlessness. When everything else has failed, decisions are sometimes delegated to an Ethics Consultation. The goal is to have those who consider themselves expert--nurses, doctors, therapists, social workers, chaplain, lawyers even and those facing the decision, [including] family, friends, and the patient--figure out what's "best."
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Of Loss and Transcendence: Stories From "Healing Through Times of Trouble" (Part Two)
Once we recognize that we all come to this work to heal one another, that we all are being taught and guided by those for whom we care, we establish true connection. At that moment, we are reunited with hope, support, and pleasure.
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Phosphorous: What is it and Why is it Important?
Phosphorus is a major mineral found throughout the body. Phosphorus is controlled as part of normal, healthy kidney function. When the kidneys do not work effectively, the level of phosphorus accumulates in the body. Your dialysis clinic measures the amount of phosphorus in your blood during the monthly laboratory tests
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Redsense is Ready to Make a Difference
In a world full of alarms and monitors, finally there is a FDA approved device to help detect the worrisome, potentially life threatening complication of dialysis, Venous Needle Dislodgement (VND) at home.
For those patients who choose the flexibility and freedom of home dialysis, the Redsense alarm is a welcome piece of mind. Few, if any, other serious complications of dialysis cause more concern than the unpredictable nature of a VND. It's known that it can occur without warning even under the best situations. Patients are educated on precautions that can be used to reduce the likelihood of having one, but the fact remains, it can't be accurately predicted.
Now that Redsense is available for home use, dialysis patients now have an additional layer of security to help ease their minds.
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Returning Control to ESRD Patients Through Self-Care In-Center Hemodialysis
In the course of my many years of providing this treatment modality to qualified patients, Dr. Bray has developed a number of important points that should be helpful for those renal healthcare professionals who are considering initiating self-care HD in their own facilities.
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Summer Grilling Tips & Techniques
Grilling is not just for the summertime! I grill all year round as a low-fat way to prepare chicken, meat, fish, or vegetables. Grilling is easy; there are no pots or pans to clean and it’s a great way to entertain. Read on to learn more about preparing some foods for grilling and tips on grilling to perfection.
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The Evaluation and Process of a Kidney Transplant
Anyone who is in or has kidney failure is a potential candidate for a renal transplant. Yet, it's important to know that the procedure comes with both advantages and disadvantages, and it may not be a good choice for everyone.
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The Importance of Oxygen During Hemodialysis
While dialysis patients know that their treatment sessions can be annoying, painful, scary, and draining, they are also aware that they are a lifesaving necessity. Dialysis is work, and work requires energy. Energy requires fuel.
A large amount of energy is necessary for excess water and poisons to move out of our body’s cells and into the tissue fluid, blood, and dialyzer. Each cell in the body has a "powerhouse" called the mitochondria which needs "fuel" to run. Oxygen is the fuel for the "powerhouse" of the cell. (Oxygen isn't everything, but it's right up there with money!)
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The Protein Challenge: Myth or Fact?
Proteins supply amino acids. Amino acids are "building blocks" that build, repair, and maintain your body tissues. Your body uses protein to:
Make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals;
Carry nutrients;
Make muscles contract; and
Regulate body processes.
Read on to see how "protein savvy" you are...
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The RightStart Program (Podcast)
Do you remember how you felt when you started dialysis? Anxious, scared, and with endless questions? This new pilot program called "RightStart," is designed to educate and help new patients feel better and more in control of their health during this critical time. Rebecca Wingard, Nephrology Nurse and Vice President of Quality Initiatives for Fresenius Medical Care, joins us today to talk about the RightStart Program.
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The Use of Peritoneal Dialysis in the Management of Kidney Failure
Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is one of the generally available and internationally used forms of treatment and management of patients who reach end-stage kidney failure. It is the primary form of treatment for renal failure used at home and for self-dialysis.
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Tips on How a Dialysis Facility and Patients Can Prepare for an Emergency
“An emergency stops being one when you are ready for it.”
These words are important to reflect upon when you realize that, during the last few years, the United States has experienced several disasters (particularly Hurricane Katrina) that seriously disrupted the lives of many dialysis patients because they could not get to their clinics to receive treatments. Emergencies caused by severe weather (hurricanes, earthquakes, snowstorms, power outages, etc.) can occur suddenly and without warning. Your availability to water, power, transportation, or supplies may be limited. You may not be able to get to your dialysis unit for treatment or give yourself treatments at home. Therefore, the importance of being prepared for such events cannot be overstated.
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Two Trees in the Forest: A patient's perspective of quality of life.
I wrote a speech a few years back, based on a parable about “Susie,” a fictional character who lived with a chronic illness most of her life. She was in search of the key to a loving relationship. Susie exhausted all angles, to no avail. It seemed no one had the key to lasting love. She talked to her friends and family, and read many books, but nowhere did she find just the right words. Then one day, an old woman approached her as she took a break on her hike through the hills. “What is your problem, my child?” the woman asked, squatting down next to Susie. “Why do you sit with such a long face?”
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Understanding Your Monthly Dialysis Lab Values
Laboratory values are only one of many ways that your healthcare is monitored. These values, like many aspects of kidney care, have clinical guidelines and standards for care that have been analyzed and recommended by experts
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What is the Incidence of Cancer (and Prevention Measures) in the Kidney Transplant Recipient?
The use of immunosuppressive drugs after kidney transplantation has been shown to be associated with an increase in a variety of different types of cancers. Cancer incidence has also been evaluated in patients with end-stage renal disease in the period prior to kidney transplantation. In this patient population, a slight increase in the incidence of the disease was found when compared to the population as a whole.
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What is the Role of the Healthcare Professional in Linking Kidney Patients With Advocacy Opportunities?
As healthcare professionals, we know how important it is to advocate for the needs of dialysis patients. Patients, too, want to advocate for their own needs and should be the most influential advocates for patients with kidney disease because they are the ones directly affected by the disease and the public programs, like Medicare and Medicaid, that fund the majority of their care.
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What Patients Need to Understand About Quality Assurance in the Dialysis Center
Quality assurance and continuous quality improvement (QA/CQI) are critical components in the hemodialysis (HD) center. Correctly implemented and managed, QA/CQI not only improves outcomes that have been established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Networks, and the individual dialysis companies, it also improves the quality of life for the HD patient.
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Why Do Patients Have Bouts of Low Blood Pressure During Hemodialysis?
While most people who eventually require chronic maintenance hemodialysis (HD) had hypertension, or high blood pressure (BP), before they began HD treatments, hypotension (low BP) during the HD treatment sessions is a common problem. It is estimated that 15%-50% of patients receiving HD will have low BP during their treatments.
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Winning Strategies for Communicating with the Renal Patient
Improving relationships between renal care workers and patients is an important goal to strive for, as it amounts to a “win/win” for everybody. Doctors, nurses, dietitians, social workers and technicians can experience less hassles in a day, and can go home feeling good about what they’re doing, knowing they might have made someone’s day.
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