KIDNEY TRANSPLANT TODAY
November 2019
At-home test for kidney transplant patients: Brigham Bright Futures Competition

The only way for kidney transplant patients to know if they are experiencing rejection or infection is through a blood test taken at a hospital - a process that a doctor at Brigham and Women's Hospital is hoping to change.

"We keep seeing patients losing their graft every day, so that's kind of the urge about doing something to better monitor patients," said Dr. Leo Riella, a transplant nephrologist at Brigham and Women's.

A cheap and accurate at-home urine test that detects infection or rejection in kidney transplant patients will catch the signs of organ injury early and potentially save patients from dialysis or even the need for another transplant.

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In This Issue
AAKP's 50th Anniversary t-shirts are available in the AAKP store for a limited amount of time! 
CJSAN Article: Optimizing Use of Deceased Donor Kidneys
By AAKP Ambassador, Melissa Bensouda

Read this CJSAN article by AAKP Ambassador, Melissa Bensouda, on "Optimizing Use of Deceased Donor Kidney, Organ Waste While We Continue to Wait".

Walking into the transplant center each year to recertify for the kidney transplant list means more testing, more time off work for doctors' appointments, and more of the same-another year with diminishing hope.

The topic of discarded kidneys has gained a significant amount of attention because the supply of kidneys is not proportionate to the demand. As outlined in CJASN, an astonishing 5000 patients die on a yearly basis while waiting for a deceased-donor kidney. Approximately 5000 patients like me muster up the energy to maintain health insurance, meet guidelines for being considered "otherwise healthy," and demonstrate psychology stability to remain on the transplant list, only to die during the fight.

Read more about Melissa Bensouda in this aakpRENALIFE article from 2018 by clicking here.

Click on the blue button below to read the full CJSAN article.

Ask The Doc: The Flu Shot 
While in most circumstances, the flu (influenza) is a mild seasonal infection that is characterized by fever, achiness, discomfort with a headache, cough and runny nose, it can be more serious, particularly in people who are at greater risk.

This risk population includes dialysis and kidney patients, patients with other health problems like chronic lung, heart, liver or hematologic diseases, as well as those over 50 years of age. At-risk populations also include those who are immunocompromised, children under 5 years of age, and women who are pregnant. Healthcare workers who commonly manage high-risk patients should also receive the vaccine to help further protect those they care for.  The disease is of concern because it can spread rapidly through a dialysis unit, hospital, clinic, nursing home or school and is spread by coughing and sneezing. It can also be spread by the hands. 

During flu season, we should all be extra vigilant in covering our mouths when coughing, and religiously sanitizing our hands. While most persons who have a seasonal flu illness may not require antiviral therapy, the disease should be treated with antiviral drugs in those with a severe clinical picture.

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Upcoming AAKP HealthLine Webinar! 
The Veterans Perspective:  AAKP's Veterans Health Initiative

Join us the Wednesday after Veterans Day, November 13th from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EST, as AAKP Ambassadors and veterans discuss private sector kidney care for veterans, how to obtain VA (US Department of Veterans Affairs) assistance, and care across the Department of Defense (DoD) and VA.

Pictured below (top left to bottom right), the speakers for this webinar included: AAKP Secretary and Chair, Veterans Health Initiative - Ed Hickey, AAKP Board Member & Ambassador - Kent Bressler, AAKP Ambassador - Jennifer Jones, AAKP Ambassador - Daronta Briggs, and Jamie McBride, MSN, RN. 

Click on the blue button below to register for this webinar.



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AAKP newsletters are for informational purposes and share some of the latest news in popular media and within the kidney community. The content included is not necessarily the opinion of the Association.  AAKP has no control and is not liable for article links that have been removed/changed/broken.