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About Hannah Bracamonte

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So far Hannah Bracamonte has created 602 blog entries.

New Procedure Could Make Kidney Transplants From Any Donor Possible

2024-03-28T21:04:46-04:00March 25th, 2016|Categories: eNews, Kidney Transplant, News & Events, Treatment|

More than 100,000 patients are currently on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, and one of the biggest challenges involves finding a compatible donor to minimize risk of organ rejection. But what if compatibility wasn’t a requirement? Johns Hopkins University recently unveiled a study in which doctors altered a patient’s immune system, allowing the patient to receive a kidney from a previously incompatible living donor. For the study, patient participants underwent a process known as “desensitization.” This is when the immune system’s cells, or antibodies, are filtered from the blood. Doctors waited until the patients’ bodies replenished the antibodies, then [...]

Artificial kidney technology continuing to see major developmental progress

2024-03-28T21:04:47-04:00March 17th, 2016|Categories: eNews, Kidney Transplant|Tags: , , |

Currently, there are over 100,000 patients on the kidney transplant waiting list, while only around 17,000 patients receive a transplant every year. A device is in development by a team of scientists at Vanderbilt University in Nashville to try and eliminate this organ shortage.  They are developing an implantable artificial kidney that uses microchip filters and live kidney cells to clean the blood. The microchips are made out of the same silicon elements that are used in computers. Each microchip filter contains pores that hold living kidney cells that mimics the kidney’s function of cleaning waste and fluids from the blood. [...]

“Dialysis 101” Recording Now Available!

2024-03-28T21:04:48-04:00March 17th, 2016|Categories: Dialysis, eNews, Webinar|

The DPC Education Center kicked off it’s 2016 education call series last Thursday on a topic important to all kidney disease patients: Dialysis 101. Debbie Cote, a nephrology nurse and administrator for several facilities in Virginia, was our featured presenter. She covered all aspects of the dialysis treatment including access types, how the machine works, and what labs to monitor during and after treatment. If you were unable to listen to the call live, the recording is now available for viewing below. Additionally, be sure to join us for the next education call “Transplant 101” scheduled on February 17 at 3:00 PM [...]

CDC aims to increase awareness of sepsis

2024-06-07T11:43:10-04:00March 17th, 2016|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle|Tags: |

Sepsis is the body’s reaction to an infection, leading to organ and tissue damage, and possible death. To raise awareness, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) designated September as Sepsis Awareness Month for the general public and health professionals. Infection prevention is especially important for dialysis patients, as bloodstream infections occur in 37,000 dialysis patients per year. The CDC feature blog posts documenting experiences with sepsis from a medical perspective, and include ways to improve care and treatment options. These resources are also available to patients, which include videos and fact sheets.

Development of Living Kidney Membrane Offers Hope to Kidney Patients

2024-03-28T21:04:50-04:00March 17th, 2016|Categories: eNews, Treatment|Tags: , , |

Researchers at the MIRA Research Institute and the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center (RUNMC) in the Netherlands recently created a living kidney membrane. To do this, they combined kidney epithelial cells (cells made of protective tissue) with an artificial membrane. Dr. D. Stamatialis led researchers at MIRA and Dr. R. Masereeuw led researchers at RUNMC to publish their shared findings in the scientific journal Acta Biomaterialia. Their research is part of the Bioart project under the auspices of the European Union (EU) Marie Curie Initial Training Networks (ITN). The aim of the Bioart project is to develop innovative bio-artificial devices for the [...]

Prevention of Kidney Stones Vital for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

2024-03-28T21:04:50-04:00March 17th, 2016|Categories: Early Intervention, eNews, Lifestyle, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: , |

Some people who repeatedly develop kidney stones may also have high levels of calcium deposits in their blood vessels. A study recently published by the American Society of Nephrology suggests that this could explain their increased risk for cardiovascular disease. "It's becoming clear that having kidney stones is a bit like having raised blood pressure, raised cholesterol, or diabetes in that it is another sign of, or risk factor for, cardiovascular disease and its consequences," said study co-author Robert Unwin of University College London. The main message "is to begin to take having kidney stones seriously in relation to cardiovascular disease [...]

Utilizing Public Resources to Prevent Kidney Disease

2024-03-28T21:04:51-04:00March 17th, 2016|Categories: Early Intervention, eNews, Pediatric Kidney Disease, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

People living with diabetes know that diabetes might affect their eyes, feet and heart. But, many do not realize that they also have to think about their kidneys. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease, followed by high blood pressure. The National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP), an initiative of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has a number of helpful resources and materials to educate people at risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD). These materials help people and their loved ones understand the connection between diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease. For people with diabetes or [...]

What’s New in Kidney Transplantation

2024-03-28T21:04:52-04:00March 17th, 2016|Categories: eNews, Kidney Transplant|

The current system for how organs are distributed is 20 years old. Meanwhile, waiting times have dramatically increased due to the number of people needing kidney transplants.  Several changes were recently recommended to the system, including efforts to match people with transplants so they last for a longer period of time as well as a new focus on providing hard to match people with more of an opportunity for a kidney transplant than in the past. The KDPI- Kidney Donor Profile Index determines how a kidney will be classified based on the criteria of how long the transplanted kidney is likely [...]

Join Us for a Webinar on Slowing the Progression of Kidney Disease!

2024-03-28T21:04:53-04:00March 17th, 2016|Categories: Early Intervention, eNews, Webinar, What Is Kidney Disease|

March is National Kidney Month, and March 12th is World Kidney Day. With 26 million American adults suffering from kidney disease, it is critical to spread awareness about the disease. Join us Monday, March 9th to hear from a nephrology nurse on how to slow the progression of kidney disease. Our webinar and conference call will take place at 3pm ET and is open to everyone. Please share this information with your facilities, friends and family that may be at risk for kidney disease. To join the call, dial (877) 399-5186 and enter code 433-459-5474. To watch the webinar and follow [...]

Kidney Disease Patients Face Unique Challenges in Health Care Communities

2024-03-28T21:04:54-04:00March 17th, 2016|Categories: eNews, Nutrition|

Chronic kidney disease patients living in health care communities, such as nursing facilities and assisted living facilities, face unique challenges related to maintaining a renal-specific diet. A recent article in the Journal of Renal Nutrition, suggests the controlled meal environment may have a more negative effect on residents nutritional status than a positive one. “When initially considered, the average person may be quick to conclude that diets are better managed in health care communities than at home,” writes Julie Hulsebus-Colvin, MBA, RD,CDN. However, this control and inflexibility regarding meal times and portion sizes can have a negative effect on a patient’s [...]

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