Monday, September 26, 2016
Monday, September 26, 2016
The Healthy Kidney Foundation, a major voluntary nonprofit health organization in Rwanda, is dedicated to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, Progression of CKD to ESRD, Diabetes and Hypertension, improving the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by kidney disease, Diabetes and Hypertension and increasing the availability of all organs for transplantation. The HKF provides vital patient and community services, conducts extensive public and professional education, advocates for patients through legislative action and supports kidney Diseases research.
Protect your Kidneys Project.
What is Protect your Kidneys project?
The Healthy Kidney Foundation Rwanda is a Non-governmental and Community-Health based organization dedicated to educate about the kidneys, risk factors for kidney disease, and steps to take to protect kidneys and reduce risk of developing Kidney diseases.
What does the Protect your Kidneys Program Check-up include?
• Risk Survey
• Body Mass Index (BMI): Height and Weight Measurements
• Blood pressure check
• Blood sugar levels check
• Urine Protein check
• Opportunity to speak with Nutritionist
• Free educational materials
• Opportunity to speak with a health care professional
Who's at Increased Risk for Kidney Disease?
• Anyone with high blood pressure, diabetes
• Anyone with a family history of kidney failure
• Anyone age 55 and older
• Anyone who is tobacco or alcohol user.
• Individuals who are obese (body mass index of 30 or above)
What should you do next?
• When you visit your doctor, share what you've learned about your risk factors for kidney disease
• Follow healthy lifestyle advice
• If you have any questions, visit our website(www.healthykidneyfoundation.org) or visit us at our office or contact us
What is Protect your Kidneys project?
The Healthy Kidney Foundation Rwanda is a Non-governmental and Community-Health based organization dedicated to educate about the kidneys, risk factors for kidney disease, and steps to take to protect kidneys and reduce risk of developing Kidney diseases.
What does the Protect your Kidneys Program Check-up include?
• Risk Survey
• Body Mass Index (BMI): Height and Weight Measurements
• Blood pressure check
• Blood sugar levels check
• Urine Protein check
• Opportunity to speak with Nutritionist
• Free educational materials
• Opportunity to speak with a health care professional
Who's at Increased Risk for Kidney Disease?
• Anyone with high blood pressure, diabetes
• Anyone with a family history of kidney failure
• Anyone age 55 and older
• Anyone who is tobacco or alcohol user.
• Individuals who are obese (body mass index of 30 or above)
What should you do next?
• When you visit your doctor, share what you've learned about your risk factors for kidney disease
• Follow healthy lifestyle advice
• If you have any questions, visit our website(www.healthykidneyfoundation.org) or visit us at our office or contact us
Monday, September 26, 2016
Victor Gura gave an update on the Wearable Artificial Kidney at the American Nephrology Nurses Association 47th annual meeting.
Mark E. Neumann — May 9, 2016
Photo: Stephen Brashear
Photo: Stephen Brashear
LOUISVILLE––Victor Gura is a nephrologist turned inventor. He can give you a fascinating review of progress on his project, the wearable artificial kidney. But equally of interest is the story about the patients who tested the device––and the nurse who patiently lead them through it.
Last week, Gura gave his second talk in the past two years at the American Nephrology Nurses Association 47th National Symposium. It was on the last morning of the five-day meeting––a tough assignment for any speaker. But the ballroom was filled. Gura made some general comments about innovation in the dialysis community, noting some research efforts regarding new machines, most of them for home use. He expressed support for the implantable artificial kidney undergoing development at the University of California San Francisco. “There is a lot of work being done,” he said.
The wearable artificial kidney: why do we need it?
No matter how you do it, Gura believes slow, gentle dialysis 24/7 is the best way to mimic the natural kidney and its functions––constantly cleansing the blood of toxins. But kidney research has spent little time on this because the industry has been happy with the status quo. Quoting Belding Scribner from 1999: “The renal community has convinced itself that it is providing adequate dialysis, but it is in fact woefully inadequate.”
But even Scribner, who shared the prestigious Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research with fellow inventor Dr. Willem J. Kolff in 2002, may not have seen the practicality of doing dialysis 24/7. Maybe more home dialysis to help lengthen therapy? Gura said he likes the value of home dialysis, but questioned whether patients had the desire to store supplies, spend the time to set up the dialysis machine, and do the work to produce better outcomes. Longer and more frequent dialysis in-center is not feasible because “society cannot afford to build more clinics: and many of them are trying to resolve nursing shortages.”
Trial of a different color
Nancy Colobong Smith, MN ANP-BC CNN ARNP, of the University of Washington Med Center, brought Gura’s quest for a working wearable artificial kidney to the nursing level. Colobong Smith worked side by side with 14 patients who underwent use of the WAK prototype: a group of six patients who lived on the WAK for up to six hours, and a second group of eight that lasted up to 8 hours.
Key points of what she gleaned from the two trials:
The wearable kidney was safe, and walking and even dancing could be done with little side effects
Dialysate is regenerated in the artificial kidney, but it’s clear this process needs to be finetuned
CO2 bubble traps related to kinked tubing developed through the therapy need to be fixed
But putting patients on the wearable artificial kidney was more involved than what you might see in an in-center dialysis clinic. Checklists, diagrams, tools for the process were used (patients in the study had been on dialysis a mean of 15 months); to keep track of the project’s caseload, some of the blood samples were parsed out to three different labs.
None of the patients had restrictions on their diet. That couldn’t have pleased Chuck Lee more. He was the study’s first patient and a diabetic for 40 years. He had previously dialyzed three days a week, four hours a day. “I thought it worked well for me…it was heavy and cumbersome. But it gave me so much more freedom” away from the commitment of in-center dialysis treatment, said the 70-year-old in a video played for attendees.
“He was so happy to eat everything, drink everything, but his tests always came back normal,” his wife added.
Colobong Smith and Gura want to see the wearable kidney start its next trial with a new smaller, lighter prototype. They want to prove that 24/7 dialysis can keep hypertension in check, eliminate the need for phosphate binders, and reduce the need for anemia drugs.
Stay tuned.
Mark E. Neumann — May 9, 2016
Photo: Stephen Brashear
Photo: Stephen Brashear
LOUISVILLE––Victor Gura is a nephrologist turned inventor. He can give you a fascinating review of progress on his project, the wearable artificial kidney. But equally of interest is the story about the patients who tested the device––and the nurse who patiently lead them through it.
Last week, Gura gave his second talk in the past two years at the American Nephrology Nurses Association 47th National Symposium. It was on the last morning of the five-day meeting––a tough assignment for any speaker. But the ballroom was filled. Gura made some general comments about innovation in the dialysis community, noting some research efforts regarding new machines, most of them for home use. He expressed support for the implantable artificial kidney undergoing development at the University of California San Francisco. “There is a lot of work being done,” he said.
The wearable artificial kidney: why do we need it?
No matter how you do it, Gura believes slow, gentle dialysis 24/7 is the best way to mimic the natural kidney and its functions––constantly cleansing the blood of toxins. But kidney research has spent little time on this because the industry has been happy with the status quo. Quoting Belding Scribner from 1999: “The renal community has convinced itself that it is providing adequate dialysis, but it is in fact woefully inadequate.”
But even Scribner, who shared the prestigious Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research with fellow inventor Dr. Willem J. Kolff in 2002, may not have seen the practicality of doing dialysis 24/7. Maybe more home dialysis to help lengthen therapy? Gura said he likes the value of home dialysis, but questioned whether patients had the desire to store supplies, spend the time to set up the dialysis machine, and do the work to produce better outcomes. Longer and more frequent dialysis in-center is not feasible because “society cannot afford to build more clinics: and many of them are trying to resolve nursing shortages.”
Trial of a different color
Nancy Colobong Smith, MN ANP-BC CNN ARNP, of the University of Washington Med Center, brought Gura’s quest for a working wearable artificial kidney to the nursing level. Colobong Smith worked side by side with 14 patients who underwent use of the WAK prototype: a group of six patients who lived on the WAK for up to six hours, and a second group of eight that lasted up to 8 hours.
Key points of what she gleaned from the two trials:
The wearable kidney was safe, and walking and even dancing could be done with little side effects
Dialysate is regenerated in the artificial kidney, but it’s clear this process needs to be finetuned
CO2 bubble traps related to kinked tubing developed through the therapy need to be fixed
But putting patients on the wearable artificial kidney was more involved than what you might see in an in-center dialysis clinic. Checklists, diagrams, tools for the process were used (patients in the study had been on dialysis a mean of 15 months); to keep track of the project’s caseload, some of the blood samples were parsed out to three different labs.
None of the patients had restrictions on their diet. That couldn’t have pleased Chuck Lee more. He was the study’s first patient and a diabetic for 40 years. He had previously dialyzed three days a week, four hours a day. “I thought it worked well for me…it was heavy and cumbersome. But it gave me so much more freedom” away from the commitment of in-center dialysis treatment, said the 70-year-old in a video played for attendees.
“He was so happy to eat everything, drink everything, but his tests always came back normal,” his wife added.
Colobong Smith and Gura want to see the wearable kidney start its next trial with a new smaller, lighter prototype. They want to prove that 24/7 dialysis can keep hypertension in check, eliminate the need for phosphate binders, and reduce the need for anemia drugs.
Stay tuned.
Monday, September 26, 2016
1. Delaying going to a toilet
Keeping your urine in your bladder
for too long is a bad idea. A full bladder can cause bladder damage.
The urine that stays in the bladder multiplies bacteria quickly. Once
the urine refluxes back to the ureter and kidneys, the toxic substances
can result in kidney infections, then urinary tract infections, and then
nephritis, and even uremia. When nature calls – do it as soon as
possible.
2. Eating too much salt
You should eat no more than 5.8 grams of salt daily. Too much of salt does great damage to the kidney
3. Eating too much meat
Too much protein in your diet is harmful for your kidneys. Protein digestion produces ammonia – a toxin that is very destructive to your kidneys. More meat equals more kidney damage.
4. Drinking too much caffeine
Caffeine is a component of many sodas and soft drinks. It raises your blood pressure and your kidneys start suffering. So you should cut down the amount of coke you drink daily.
5. Not drinking water
Our kidneys should be hydrated properly to perform their functions well. If we don’t drink enough, the toxins can start accumulating in the blood, as there isn’t enough fluid to drain them through the kidneys.
6. Late treatment
Treat all your health problems properly and have your health checked regularly.
You should eat no more than 5.8 grams of salt daily. Too much of salt does great damage to the kidney
3. Eating too much meat
Too much protein in your diet is harmful for your kidneys. Protein digestion produces ammonia – a toxin that is very destructive to your kidneys. More meat equals more kidney damage.
4. Drinking too much caffeine
Caffeine is a component of many sodas and soft drinks. It raises your blood pressure and your kidneys start suffering. So you should cut down the amount of coke you drink daily.
5. Not drinking water
Our kidneys should be hydrated properly to perform their functions well. If we don’t drink enough, the toxins can start accumulating in the blood, as there isn’t enough fluid to drain them through the kidneys.
6. Late treatment
Treat all your health problems properly and have your health checked regularly.
Friday, September 23, 2016
Friday, September 23, 2016
Strategic Plan
Leading Change
Confronted by the dramatic
increase in the incidence of kidney disease in Rwanda, the Healthy
Kidney Foundation launched a comprehensive review of its directions and
priorities in 2003. In 2004, a new Vision, Mission and Guiding
Principles were approved by the National Board of Directors following
extensive consultation with volunteers, staff and external stakeholders.
This critical piece of work has catalyzed a dynamic change process to ensure that the Foundation continues to provide leadership for kidney health and improved lives for all Rwandan affected by kidney disease.
The Key Results that flow from our vision and mission remain works in progress which will continue to be developed and refined by experience in the years ahead. They will serve as a guide to the creation of more detailed plans as the Health Kidney Foundation’s leadership works together to realize our Mission and Vision while increasing its capacity to be the Foundation of kidney care throughout the century.
Key Results
1. Educated public committed to kidney health and organ donation
2. Organization of choice supporting people affected by kidney disease
3. National leader in the development of kidney researchers and excellent research
4. Effective and influential voice in the development of kidney-related health policy
5. Significantly increased resources
6. Organization and culture structured to respond to changing demands
Leading Change
This critical piece of work has catalyzed a dynamic change process to ensure that the Foundation continues to provide leadership for kidney health and improved lives for all Rwandan affected by kidney disease.
The Key Results that flow from our vision and mission remain works in progress which will continue to be developed and refined by experience in the years ahead. They will serve as a guide to the creation of more detailed plans as the Health Kidney Foundation’s leadership works together to realize our Mission and Vision while increasing its capacity to be the Foundation of kidney care throughout the century.
Key Results
1. Educated public committed to kidney health and organ donation
2. Organization of choice supporting people affected by kidney disease
3. National leader in the development of kidney researchers and excellent research
4. Effective and influential voice in the development of kidney-related health policy
5. Significantly increased resources
6. Organization and culture structured to respond to changing demands
Friday, September 23, 2016
Registered as a Health based Nongovernmental Organization in 2010 and governed by a Board of five professionals drawn from diverse backgrounds and managed by an Executive Director, Programs Assistant and a Finance Officer in addition to that is also a team of youthful volunteers that help to carry out the foundation’s activities.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
