Chronic kidney disease concerns

MORE than 100 people are diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) every year through the health system, but only 10 per cent are able to receive treatment, a doctor says.
Mendi General Hospital internal medicine registrar Dr Erick Mange made this known in the lead up to World Kidney Day on March 10.
Mange said in the past, it was the older people that were affected by CKD, but due to the change in lifestyle and increase in the number of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure), younger people and children were diagnosed with it.
He said the hospital started a training attachment with the PNG Kidney Foundation (PNGKF) last May 10, with three nurses to manage its recently established dialysis unit.
He and PNGKF chief operating officer Khalik Untong discussed CKD in the lead up to World Kidney Day.
The following is information concerning chronic kidney disease.

The role of kidneys in the body and definition of CKD
According to Mange, the kidneys carry out filtration in the body where excess waste and fluid materials are removed from the blood and excreted from the body, thus, keeping the blood in the right balance.
CKD actually means chronic renal (kidney) failure and that is damage to the kidneys that has happened over a period of more than three months.
The progressive damage results in gradual decrease of the kidney function.
When patients go to the hospital, tests are conducted to measure the kidney function to see how the kidney is filtering blood.
When there is a drop in the filtration rate of kidneys over a period of three months then that patients has CKD.

• Next week’s edition: Signs and symptoms of CKD/causes of CKD or diseases that will lead to CKD