Tag Archives: Kidney transplantation

Straight, No Chaser: National Minority Organ Donor Awareness Month

Organ-donor-shortage-001
August is National Minority Donor Awareness Month, which brings attention to the more than 118,000 people nationwide waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. Of the these men, women and children listed on the national organ transplant waiting list, 56% are minorities. People of most races and ethnicities in the U.S. donate in proportion to their representation in the population. Minorities are disproportionately affected by illnesses, like high blood pressure and diabetes, which can lead to end-stage renal disease and the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant.  This contributes to a disproportionately higher number of minority patients on the national organ transplant waiting list.
Here’s a representation of waiting list candidates by ethnicity:

  • Caucasians: 43.7%
  • African-Americans: 29.6%
  • Hispanics/Latinos: 18.4%
  • Asians: 6.7%
  • Native Americans and Alaska Natives: 1%
  • Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders: 0.5%
  • Multiracial: 0.5%

In 2012, 11,309 minority patients received organ transplants; while there were 2,762 minority deceased donors and 1,711 minority living donors. The wait is long and, sadly, 18 people die every day because the transplant they desperately needed did not come in time.  These facts make the need for more donors from ethnic minority groups critical.  However, minority organ donation often lags due to misinformation about the need and process.
Learn The Facts (most information provided by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
These facts may help you better understand organ, eye, and tissue donation:

  • Fact: Regardless of age or medical history, anyone can sign up to be a donor. The transplant team will determine at an individual’s time of death whether donation is possible.
  • Fact: Most major religions in the United States support organ donation and consider donation as the final act of love and generosity toward others.
  • Fact: If you are sick or injured and admitted to a hospital, the number one priority is to save your life.  Hospitals simply are not in the business of allowing patients to die to harvest their organs.
  • Fact: When matching donor organs to recipients, the computerized matching system considers issues such as the severity of illness, blood type, time spent waiting, other important medical information, and geographic location. The recipient’s financial or celebrity status or race does not figure in.
  • Fact: An open casket funeral is usually possible for organ, eye, and tissue donors. Through the entire donation process, the body is treated with care, respect, and dignity.
  • Fact: There is no cost to donors or their families for organ or tissue donation.
  • Fact: Every state provides access to a donor registry where its residents can indicate their donation decision.
  • Fact: Federal law prohibits buying and selling organs in the U.S. Violators are punishable by prison sentences and fines.
  • Fact: People can recover from comas, but not brain death. Coma and brain death are not the same. Brain death is final.

In order to sign up to be on the donor registry, or to receive more information, visit http://organdonor.gov/becomingdonor/stateregistries.html.
Meet the challenge.  Address the need.

Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. As a thank you for being a valued subscriber to Straight, No Chaser, we’d like to offer you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.72hourslife.com. Receive introductory pricing with orders!
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2018 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: Kidney (Renal) Failure

We take our kidneys for granted. They are truly remarkable organs. In this Straight, No Chaser, we will review kidney function and explain kidney failure. Additional posts will address treatment of kidney failure, including dialysis and kidney transplantation. A review of kidney stones is available in an earlier Straight, No Chaser.

KidneyFailure

You probably know that the kidneys are key to the body removing waste and excess fluids and minerals. You may not have been aware of just how efficient your two kidneys are: they filter the body’s entire blood supply every thirty minutes. In fact, they are so efficient that you can lose one and still be able to have normal overall function. Healthy kidneys also make hormones that keep your bones strong and your blood healthy.

   kidney

Damaged kidneys and kidney failure are pretty simple to understand. When the kidneys aren’t working properly, there are consequences to those wastes and that excess fluid accumulating throughout the body. Blood pressure may rise, as the heart has more fluid to pump around the body. Your body may retain excess fluid and not make enough red blood cells.
There are three considerations for you to understand when discussing kidney failure: acute kidney failure, chronic kidney failure and end-stage kidney failure.

kidney-failure causes

Acute kidney failure is the result of an active event such as the following:

  • an abrupt drop in the blood supply to the kidneys
  • obstruction
  • physical trauma
  • severe infection
  • use of certain drugs

If the underlying problem causing acute kidney failure is sufficiently treated, complete recovery of the kidneys is possible.
Chronic kidney failure occurs over years and can be the consequence of many processes, including uncontrolled diabetes, drug use or hypertension. It can cause anemia (low blood cell count), decreased mental sharpness, fatigue, headaches, muscle twitches and cramps, nausea and vomiting, trouble sleeping, unusual itching, weight loss and a yellowish-brown skin color.
End-stage kidney disease represents such a level of dysfunction that your life could be at risk without appropriate attention being given to your disease. It causes or exacerbates anemia, high blood pressure, bone disease, heart failure, and can lead to poor mental functioning.

Kidney-Failure-chronic

The kidneys are pretty good at displaying signs of distress if you’re willing to pay attention. See your physician if you develop any of the following signs or symptoms:

  • pain or burning when you urinate,
  • frequent urges to urinate,
  • urine that is cloudy or dark,
  • fever or a feeling of shakiness along with back pain, or
  • pain in your back or side below your ribs that does not go away.

As mentioned, avoidance of illicit drugs, taking prescribed medicines as directed, and treatment of high blood pressure and diabetes can help prevent kidney disease.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. As a thank you for being a valued subscriber to Straight, No Chaser, we’d like to offer you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.72hourslife.com. Receive introductory pricing with orders!
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2018 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: National Minority Organ Donor Awareness Month

Organ-donor-shortage-001
August is National Minority Donor Awareness Month, which brings attention to the more than 118,000 people nationwide waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. Of the these men, women and children listed on the national organ transplant waiting list, 56% are minorities. People of most races and ethnicities in the U.S. donate in proportion to their representation in the population. Minorities are disproportionately affected by illnesses, like high blood pressure and diabetes, which can lead to end-stage renal disease and the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant.  This contributes to a disproportionately higher number of minority patients on the national organ transplant waiting list.
Here’s a representation of waiting list candidates by ethnicity:

  • Caucasians: 43.7%
  • African-Americans: 29.6%
  • Hispanics/Latinos: 18.4%
  • Asians: 6.7%
  • Native Americans and Alaska Natives: 1%
  • Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders: 0.5%
  • Multiracial: 0.5%

In 2012, 11,309 minority patients received organ transplants; while there were 2,762 minority deceased donors and 1,711 minority living donors. The wait is long and, sadly, 18 people die every day because the transplant they desperately needed did not come in time.  These facts make the need for more donors from ethnic minority groups critical.  However, minority organ donation often lags due to misinformation about the need and process.
Learn The Facts (most information provided by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
These facts may help you better understand organ, eye, and tissue donation:

  • Fact: Regardless of age or medical history, anyone can sign up to be a donor. The transplant team will determine at an individual’s time of death whether donation is possible.
  • Fact: Most major religions in the United States support organ donation and consider donation as the final act of love and generosity toward others.
  • Fact: If you are sick or injured and admitted to a hospital, the number one priority is to save your life.  Hospitals simply are not in the business of allowing patients to die to harvest their organs.
  • Fact: When matching donor organs to recipients, the computerized matching system considers issues such as the severity of illness, blood type, time spent waiting, other important medical information, and geographic location. The recipient’s financial or celebrity status or race does not figure in.
  • Fact: An open casket funeral is usually possible for organ, eye, and tissue donors. Through the entire donation process, the body is treated with care, respect, and dignity.
  • Fact: There is no cost to donors or their families for organ or tissue donation.
  • Fact: Every state provides access to a donor registry where its residents can indicate their donation decision.
  • Fact: Federal law prohibits buying and selling organs in the U.S. Violators are punishable by prison sentences and fines.
  • Fact: People can recover from comas, but not brain death. Coma and brain death are not the same. Brain death is final.

In order to sign up to be on the donor registry, or to receive more information, visit http://organdonor.gov/becomingdonor/stateregistries.html.
Meet the challenge.  Address the need.