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National Kidney Foundation Recognizes National Mental Health Awareness Month

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“May is National Mental Health Awareness Month and The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) recognizes this important month by calling attention to NKF Peers, a free mentoring program that matches people in late stage kidney disease, those on dialysis or living with a transplant, as well as living donors with mentors who provide one-on-one support to guide them through their kidney health journey.  As COVID-19 cases in the U.S. continue to rise, NKF Peers is more important than ever because people with kidney disease and transplant recipients face a heightened risk for developing serious complications from COVID-19. In addition, people hospitalized with COVID-19 are developing kidney failure and becoming kidney patients. In these incredibly stressful times, the NKF Peers program is available to kidney patients seeking support, information, and understanding from someone who has been in a similar situation.”

Learn more about the NKF Peers program, here.

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Surgeons believe transplant medical device could save more patients

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“According to Dr. Dominic Emerson, a transplant surgeon with the Smidt Heart Institute at the Medical Center, organs like the heart can only last about four hours on ice outside of the body. With the “Heart in a Box,” transplant surgeons have more time to recover an organ for transplant, which means they can go a farther distance to retrieve an organ for a patient in need.” 

Read the full article, here.

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PREVENTING REJECTION

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“The daunting truth about organ failure is that it occurs in about 50 percent of all organ transplants. To help prevent rejection, transplant recipients must take highly-evolved immunosuppressive drugs, also known as anti-rejection drugs, for the rest of their lives to ensure their new organ is accepted by their body.”

Read more, here.

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Kidneys in the Kitchen: Blueberry Oatmeal Smoothie

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This easy-to-make Blueberry Oatmeal Smoothie is filling and kidney-friendly!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 c kefir

1/2 c blueberries

1/2 c dry oatmeal

1 TBSP chia seeds

1 TBSP flax seeds

DIRECTIONS

Add ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. If it’s too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time until drinkable.

See the full recipe and watch the how-to video, here.

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How a wearable helps improve care after a kidney transplant

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“The wearable geko device, manufactured by UK-based Sky Medical Technology and distributed in Canada by Trudell Healthcare Solutions, is a small muscle pump activator that significantly increases blood flow via painless electrical pulses. Patients using the device following kidney transplantation experienced shorter hospital stays and reduced surgical site infections by nearly 60%. 

Kidney and simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantations can significantly reduce mortality and improve the quality of life for patients with end stage renal disease.”

Read more, here.

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Improving Lung Capacity Pre- and Post-COVID-19

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“For many patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19, surviving the virus is only half of the battle. Once deemed virus-free and ready to be sent home, the often-long road to recovery – including rebuilding lung capacity and overall respiratory health – begins.

Two Cedars-Sinai respiratory therapists explain what roadblocks these hospital-admitted patients face when it comes to lung health and offer tips for non-patients looking to improve their overall respiratory health.

“Patients with COVID-19 tend to be sicker for much longer than other patients with respiratory-related illnesses and, on average, stay on a ventilator for a longer duration,” said Dagoberto Naranjo, RRT, a respiratory therapist in the Department of Respiratory Therapy at Cedars-Sinai.

These ventilated patients also take longer to react, or benefit from, oxygenation efforts, according to Naranjo.”

Read full article, here.

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Despite COVID Vaccinations, Caution Still Crucial for Transplant Recipients

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“Long before COVID-19 changed the world, organ transplant recipients were wearing masks to shield themselves from airborne threats.

Immunosuppressive medicines, which often are a lifelong requirement after a transplant, add an extra layer of protection against viruses as common as a cold or as dangerous as COVID. Transplant patients are told to use masks for any group gatherings or airplane flights, and hand sanitizing is a must. 

While COVID has brought a heightened awareness of these patients’ health risks and fragility, a recent study by Johns Hopkins University researchers in Baltimore, Maryland, and a report from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, may raise their sense of unease even further.”

Read the full article, here.

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Antibody Response to 2-Dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Series in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

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“Transplant recipients without prior polymerase chain reaction–confirmed COVID-19 were recruited from across the US to participate in this prospective cohort through a digital campaign. Those who completed the 2-dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine series between December 16, 2020, and March 13, 2021, were included and followed up through April 13, 2021. As described previously,3 semiquantitative antispike serologic testing was undertaken with the Roche Elecsys anti–SARS-CoV-2 S enzyme immunoassay, positive cutoff of at least 0.8 U/mL, which tests for the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, or the EUROIMMUN enzyme immunoassay, positive cutoff of at least 1.1 arbitrary units, which tests for the S1 domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, both key measures of humoral immune response.4,5 This study was approved by the Johns Hopkins institutional review board; participants provided informed consent electronically.

The proportion of patients who developed a positive antibody response was assessed with an exact binomial confidence interval. The Fisher exact test was used to compare categorical variables, such as antimetabolite immunosuppression, and the Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous variables. All tests were 2-sided with α = .05. Analyses were performed using Stata 16.1/Windows.”

See the full study results, here.

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The Living Donor Protection Act: What You Need to Know

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“More than ever, living donors are coming forward and generously volunteering to give the gift of life to hundreds of PKD patients across America. These living donors make up a vital portion of the kidney transplants performed in the U.S. each year. About one-third of the kidney transplants in 2020 were living donations.

Right now, there’s no federal legislation protecting living organ donors from losing their jobs just for taking recovery leave for transplant surgery. Living donors also experience higher premiums and even denial of coverage for most forms of insurance. In fact, 25% of living donors are denied or charged more for life insurance.”

Learn more, here.

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When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated: How to Protect Yourself and Others

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  • If you are fully vaccinated you can start doing many things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.
  • When choosing safer activities, consider how COVID-19 is spreading in your community, the number of people participating in the activity, and the location of the activity.
  • Outdoor visits and activities are safer than indoor activities, and fully vaccinated people can participate in some indoor events safely, without much risk.
  • If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, find a vaccine.

Find all recent updates from the CDC, here.

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