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About Hannah Bracamonte

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So far Hannah Bracamonte has created 590 blog entries.

Emergency Disaster Preparedness for Dialysis Patients

2024-03-28T21:06:55-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: eNews|Tags: |

As evident from the disaster of hurricane Katrina and the recent hurricanes Gustav and Hanna, it is important to be prepared. For everyone this means having an evacuation plan ensuring you have plenty of clean water and food supplies, and knowing how to get in touch with your friends and loved ones. For dialysis patients there are even more preparedness measures needed. You may be surprised to know that most local and state governments do not have a disaster preparedness plan that accounts for the special needs of dialysis patients. Therefore, it is extremely important that you take responsibility to prepare [...]

Low Blood Pressure – Hypotension

2024-03-28T21:06:55-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

By Dewayne Hasten, DPC Patient Ambassador, Hemodialysis Patient and Biomedical EngineerPatient to Patient: Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension) During Dialysis TreatmentsProtecting your accessYou are a hemodialysis patient, and you know the score. You arrive at the clinic for your treatment and go right to the scale, weigh yourself, and head to your chair. There are the usual pleasantries, the questions about your health since your last treatment, and your vital signs are checked.The nurse or technician then straps the blood pressure cuff on your arm and you hear the monitor start. You feel the cuff around your arm start to inflate. You [...]

What You Need to Know about Anemia and Kidney Disease

2024-03-28T21:06:56-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

Anemia and Kidney Disease Anemia can make you feel weak, tired, and short of breath.  You may also have headaches and trouble sleeping.  You may also experience a loss of appetite and a more rapid heart rate. Anemia (uh-NEE-me-eh) comes from the Greek work that means “without blood”.  Anemia is common in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) When kidneys are healthy, they make a hormone called erythropoietin, or EPO.  This hormone helps the bone marrow to produce the amount of red blood cells (RBC) that the body needs to carry oxygen to vital organs. When the kidneys are damaged, they [...]

Treatment Options for Pediatric Kidney Disease

2024-03-28T21:06:57-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: eNews, Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Pediatric Kidney Disease, Peritoneal Dialysis|

Children with kidney failure have a few options to choose from, depending on the severity of their disease.  The primary goal is to have a successful transplant, however viable kidneys are not always available and some children are not strong candidates for transplants. In some cases a nephrectomy is a solution that can make childhood disease easier to manage. In most cases parents choose home dialysis options either home hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Transplants In adults, most transplanted kidneys come from donors who have just perished. However, about half of the kidney transplants in children come from a living donor, usually a [...]

Issues Specific to Children with Pediatric Kidney Disease

2024-03-28T21:06:58-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: Immunizations, Mental Health, Pediatric Kidney Disease, Quality of Life, What Causes Kidney Disease, What Is Kidney Disease|

Children are not just little versions of adults. They endure their own physical and mental issues that deserve extra attention. Physical Immunizations Early childhood is when several series of immunizations are scheduled, which can create additional issues in children with renal failure. Due to weakened immune systems, it is even more important that children with CKD receive all recommended vaccinations plus pneumonia and influenza. Children who are on immunosuppressive medication to prevent transplant rejection or treat an autoimmune disease should not receive live viruses though, those include the polio oral vaccine, the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine or the varicella [...]

Albumin and Chronic Kidney Disease

2024-03-28T21:06:59-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: eNews, News & Events, Nutrition, Peritoneal Dialysis, Staying Healthy|

What is albumin? Albumin is a protein, found in animal sources such as meats, milk-products, and eggs. It is also found in plant sources such as beans, nuts, and seeds. Albumin provides the body with the protein needed to both maintain growth and repair tissues. It can also help with fluid removal during the dialysis treatment. If your albumin level is good, fluid will move more easily from swollen tissues into the blood, where it can then be removed by the dialyzer. For dialysis patients, the preferred range for the serum (blood) albumin is 4.0 g/dl or greater. What can cause your Albumin level to drop? [...]

Learn More About Anemia

2024-03-28T21:07:00-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: Additional Resources, eNews, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

Anemia is a complex topic. You can learn more about anemia and its treatment in greater detail by visiting the following websites: Kidney School Anemia Module  https://www.kidneyschool.org/m06/ Kidney School is a free, on-line, interactive kidney learning center offered by the Life Options program. There are 16 modules, including one on anemia. You can also download this module. Anemia in Kidney Disease and on Dialysis https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/anemia Online information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. What You Should Know About Anemia  https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/what_anemia_ckd Online basic information from the National Kidney Foundation.

What is Dialysis and Chronic Kidney Disease?

2024-03-28T21:07:01-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: Early Intervention, Fact Sheet, Peritoneal Dialysis, Symptoms, What Causes Kidney Disease|

It is estimated that more than 31 million American adults have chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, a survey done by the National Medical Association and Amgen shows that most adults know very little about the symptoms or treatment of the disease. How can people be so unaware of a disease that affects so many? Like diabetes and high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease is called a “silent killer” because there are few symptoms and by the time a person realizes they have a problem, much damage has already been done. By sharing information you can help save lives. Because chronic kidney disease happens over [...]

What You Can Do to Manage Your Anemia

2024-03-28T21:07:02-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: eNews, Fact Sheet, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

Anemia is common among individuals with chronic kidney disease. Take this quick quiz to find out if you might have anemia: Do You Have These Symptoms of Anemia? I am very tired all/a lot of the time I feel like my muscles are weaker than they used to be I feel dizzy or lightheaded-like I might pass out I feel short of breath after even a little bit of activity I am cold when others around me are not I feel confused or have trouble thinking clearly I have very pale skin and/or bluish fingernails or lips I crave to chew [...]

What Are My Options If I Have Kidney Failure?

2024-03-28T21:07:03-04:00January 4th, 2013|Categories: eNews, Home Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Peritoneal Dialysis|

While many people learn suddenly that they have kidney failure, or end stage renal disease (ESRD), chronic kidney disease (CKD) happens over time. For those who know they will be facing kidney failure, they have time to learn about the treatment choices, or modalities, available and prepare. Whether a person has months to prepare or needs to make a sudden decision about which modality is right, his or her doctor or nephrologist (doctor specializing in kidney care) will help educate and guide. Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation There are two treatments for kidney failure: dialysis and transplantation. Dialysis is a treatment that [...]

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