AlloCare – Page 2

November 12, 2021August 16, 2022

Lung Transplant After COVID-19: What Patients Need to Know

“COVID-19 is a complex disease. In some people, it can be a mild respiratory illness that is easy to recover from. In others, it can be severe and lead to a lengthy hospital stay. Patients with severe COVID-19 might need intensive care and a ventilator to help them breathe.

For people with severe illness, sometimes the only life-saving option is a lung transplant. As a pulmonologist who specializes in caring for both patients with severe COVID-19 and those who receive a transplant, I’ve seen firsthand the difference a lung transplant can make.

Here’s what our expert lung transplant team at the Temple Lung Center knows about performing these critical procedures”

Learn more here.

November 12, 2021August 16, 2022

COVID-19 and Heart Failure

COVID-19 restrictions are easing. What does that mean for heart failure patients?

Although the coronavirus is still a major health threat, restrictions are easing across the nation. That leaves many people— including heart failure patients — wondering if it’s safe to go out in public and get back to a normal routine.

The most important thing to remember is that people with heart disease, including heart failure, are at risk of getting much sicker or even dying if they get COVID-19. So if you have a history of heart disease or have a risk factor for heart disease or stroke, stay informed and stay cautious.

Learn more here.

November 11, 2021August 16, 2022

Naperville Couple: Life After Husband & Wife Match for Kidney Transplant

“It’s the story of two people who are a match in a perfect and unexpected way. In July 2019, Naperville resident Aaron Rhoden suffered a stroke due to his high blood pressure. Afterwards, his kidney functionality was so low that he needed a transplant. That’s when an “unusual alignment” happened according to his doctor.

His wife, Tonya Rhoden, didn’t hesitate to take the tests necessary and the two found out they were a perfect match. The couple, married since 2016, said one in every between 50,000 and 100,000 spouses will be a match. The two are “six out of 10 markers identical,” said Aaron in a story we did with the two back in April before the kidney transplant.”

Read full story here.

November 10, 2021August 16, 2022

Chronic Kidney Disease and the Importance of Early Detection

“Approximately 1 in 7 adults in the United States has chronic kidney disease, which occurs when kidneys have become damaged over time and do not work as well as healthy kidneys. Kidney failure may lead to anemia, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and early death. People may not feel sick or notice any symptoms. Therefore, it can go undetected until it has advanced.

However, if caught in its early stages, kidney damage can be kept from getting worse by following a healthy diet and taking the proper medicine. We sit down with Erich, a chronic kidney disease patient of 30 years, and his wife and care provider Andria to hear their story. We also meet with Dr. Cosette Jamieson, a nephrologist who specializes in chronic kidney disease, to learn about the importance of early diagnosis and management strategies for patients.”

Learn more here.

November 10, 2021August 16, 2022

How does your heart work?

“The heart is a strong and muscular organ that is about the size of a fist in adults. It pumps blood throughout the body and is located behind the breastbone between the lungs. Deoxygenated blood flows from the heart to the lungs where it gives up carbon dioxide and is freshly oxygenated. From there, the blood returns to the heart and is pumped to the rest of the body.”

Learn more from UNOS, here.

November 9, 2021August 16, 2022

Investigational Oral CKD-Anemia Agent Effective, Safe

“The investigational hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitor (HIF-PHI) daprodustat was safe and as effective as erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) for anemia, according to the phase III ASCEND program.

In the first of the two ASCEND trials looking at patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis, patients treated with oral daprodustat had a mean change in hemoglobin level of 0.28±0.02 g/dL from baseline to weeks 28 through 52, reported Ajay Singh, MBBS, MBA, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and chair of the ASCEND program’s Executive Steering Committee, and colleagues.”

She Died With Long Covid. Should Her Organs Have Been Donated?

“Covid-19 ravaged Heidi Ferrer’s body and soul for over a year, and in May the “Dawson’s Creek” screenwriter killed herself in Los Angeles. She had lost all hope.

“I’m so sorry,” she said in a goodbye video to her husband and son. “I would never do this if I was well. Please understand. Please forgive me.”

Her husband, Nick Guthe, a writer and director, wanted to donate her body to science. But the hospital said it was not his decision to make because Ms. Ferrer, 50, had signed up to be an organ donor. So specialists recovered several organs from the body before disconnecting her from a ventilator.”

Read full story, here.

November 3, 2021August 16, 2022

Dialysis Patients Mount Best COVID Vax Response After Third Dose

“Even people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were able to bolster an immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine, researchers reported.

According to a systematic review and meta-analysis of 32 studies, the overall immunogenicity rate for people on dialysis was 86% (95% CI 81-89), noted Chih-Hsiang Chang, MD, of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Linkou, Taiwan, and colleagues in JAMA Network Open.

After the first vaccination dose, those on dialysis saw an immune response rate of 41% (95% CI 32-52, I²=87.3%), which subsequently jumped to 89% (95% CI 85-91, I²=66.7%) after the second dose.”

How does your liver work?

“The liver has many functions that are necessary for life. The liver helps process carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and stores vitamins. It processes nutrients absorbed from food in the intestines and turns them into materials that the body needs for life.

For example, the liver makes the factors that the blood needs for clotting. It also secretes bile to help digest fats, and breaks down toxic substances in the blood such as drugs and alcohol. The liver is also responsible for the metabolism of most drugs.”

Learn more from UNOS here.

November 2, 2021August 16, 2022

Liver Transplant Recipients With Heart Failure Require More Attention

“New data being presented at the 2021 American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Meeting show patients with heart failure who are recipients of liver transplants are at an increased risk of adverse events, including death.

A team, led by Zahid I. Tarar, MD, University of Missouri School of Medicine, measured the effect of pre-existing heart failure on patient outcomes for individuals admitted to the hospital for liver transplants.”