FacebookXYouTubeInstagramLinkedIn

About Hannah Bracamonte

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far Hannah Bracamonte has created 566 blog entries.

Public Health Service Guidelines on Organ Donation for HIV, HBV, HCV and Transplant Recipient Monitoring

2024-03-28T21:00:01-04:00July 15th, 2020|Categories: eNews, Kidney Transplant|

The U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) recently released the PHS Guideline for Solid Organ Donor Assessment for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection and Transplant Recipient Monitoring. This document updates existing PHS guidance pertaining to solid organ donors and recipients and testing for HIV, HBV, and HCV in addition to informed consent and appropriately communicating the risk of disease transmission to transplant candidates. The revised guideline reflects substantial advances in testing technology and treatment that improve patient safety. Key things for you to know: Risk of infection due to transplant is very low. [...]

Understanding Chronic Pain and Depression

2024-03-28T21:00:02-04:00July 13th, 2020|Categories: Fact Sheet, Mental Health, Physical Health, The Kidney Citizen|

How Chronic Pain Can Impact Your Mental Health When You Have Kidney Disease By Hannah Calkins Chronic pain and depression are closely linked and because as many as 60 percent of hemodialysis patients report moderate to severe chronic pain, it’s likely that many of them have experienced depression—or are at risk for it. But it may not look or feel the way you expect, according to psychologist Robert Kerns, PhD. “Depression among people with chronic pain may not be experienced as profound sadness,” says Kerns, a professor of psychiatry, neurology and psychology at Yale University. “Other symptoms may be more likely [...]

Care Coordination Fixes One of the Biggest Flaws in the American Health Care System

2024-03-28T21:00:03-04:00July 6th, 2020|Categories: Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, In-Center Hemodialysis, The Kidney Citizen|Tags: , |

By Gloria Rohrer, DPC Patient Ambassador As a dialysis patient, it has become clear to me that one of the biggest flaws in the American health care system is the disjointed way care is often provided to patients. If patients have chronic conditions alongside other health complications, it can be exceedingly difficult to navigate the different doctors and hospitals we need in order to receive proper care. When seeing so many different doctors at various clinics and hospitals, patients like me can suffer adverse effects if all our treatments are not designed to address our full medical history, rather than a [...]

Identifying Sepsis Risk and Symptoms

2024-03-28T21:00:04-04:00June 29th, 2020|Categories: The Kidney Citizen, What Causes Kidney Disease|Tags: |

By Marijke Vroomen Durning, RN People who live with kidney disease are more susceptible to contracting infections than the general public. A weakened immune system, frequent hospital or clinical visits/stays, and possible points of entry for infection (catheters, ports, etc.) all contribute to this increased risk. Unfortunately, some of these infections can lead to sepsis, which can be life altering, even fatal for thousands of people. Sepsis is your body’s inflammatory response to an infection. It can be any type of infection—viral, as with influenza; bacterial, as with a urinary tract infection (UTI); even fungal or parasitic. No one knows why [...]

4 Cereales integrales para incorporar en tu alimentación

2024-03-28T21:00:05-04:00June 22nd, 2020|Categories: Spanish Materials, The Kidney Citizen|

Por María Eugenia Rodríguez León, MS, RD, CSR, LND, Nutricionista Dietista Licenciada https://menutritionpr.com Una de las recomendaciones para llevar una alimentación saludable es que la mitad de los cereales y farináceos que comemos sean integrales. Se ha demostrado que los cereales y farináceos integrales ayudan en la prevención de algunas enfermedades (ej. diabetes, cáncer, alta presión y enfermedades cardiovasculares).1 Un grano integral tiene las tres partes originales de la semilla: salvado, germen y endospermo.2 Salvado: es la parte comestible del exterior de la semilla. Contiene antioxidantes, vitaminas del complejo B y fibra. Germen: es el embrión de la semilla. Es [...]

4 Whole Grains to Add to Your Diet

2024-03-28T21:00:06-04:00June 22nd, 2020|Categories: Fact Sheet, Nutrition, The Kidney Citizen|

By María Eugenia Rodríguez León, MS, RD, CSR, LND, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist https://menutritionpr.com One of the recommendations given for following a healthy diet is choosing half of your daily grains as whole grains. Whole grains can help in preventing some diseases (e.g., diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and heart disease).1 A whole grain has the three original parts of the seed: bran, germ and endosperm.2 Bran is the edible part surrounding the seed. It contains antioxidants, B vitamins and fiber. Germ is the seed embryo. It is the part that has the potential to become a new plant. It contains [...]

Spoon-Saving Strategies

2024-03-28T21:00:07-04:00June 15th, 2020|Categories: Fact Sheet, Lifestyle, Physical Health, Stress Management, The Kidney Citizen|

By Sara Naveed Raise your hand if getting out of bed feels like an accomplishment to you, if you have ever felt the need to nap after taking a shower or if being tired feels like it's a part of your personality now! How about constantly finding yourself in a push/crash cycle—pushing way past your limit one day and then paying the price for it in the form of heightened symptoms and having to rest several days in order to recover? Don't worry—you're not the only one! We currently live in an era where we are constantly fed the narrative that [...]

Managing Chronic Pain in Dialysis Patients

2024-03-28T21:00:08-04:00June 8th, 2020|Categories: Fact Sheet, Mental Health, Music, Physical Health, Stress Management, The Kidney Citizen|

By Amanda Nelli, MD and Padma Gulur, MD Pain is a complex symptom and a common concern for all patients with a chronic illness. In particular, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) poses unique challenges. It has been found that 37-50 percent of patients with ESRD on hemodialysis experience chronic pain, and more than 80 percent of these patients experience moderate to severe pain.1 Pain in dialysis patients often goes undertreated, which may be because it is often caused by multiple problems. The pain experienced in dialysis patients is often a combination of physical, social and psychological influences.2 There are multiple medical [...]

Are You Scared or Anxious about COVID-19?

2024-03-28T21:00:09-04:00June 2nd, 2020|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Support|Tags: |

Updated September 10, 2020 We are living in a time of uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic, which can lead to stress, fear, depression, and anxiety. We may feel overwhelmed at times and bored at other times. We may be at a loss for how to cope with social distancing, not seeing friends and family, and the possibility of getting sick. If you are a dialysis patient, receiving treatment either in-center or at home, your facility social worker is a great resource for you. Or, if you are a transplant patient, you can talk to your transplant social worker for support. [...]

Toggle Sliding Bar Area
Go to Top