CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE MANAGEMENT IN PRIMARY CARE HANDBOOK REFRESHED FOR HCPs
Breonny Robson, GM Clinical and Research
Kidney Health Australia
Dr Chris Bollen GP, Oakden Medical Centre &
PEAK Committee Member, Kidney Health Australia
Professor Shilpa Jesudason, Nephrologist
Professor of Medicine, University of Adelaide,
Director of Dialysis, Royal Adelaide Hospital &
PEAK Committee Member, Kidney Health Australia
Chris Picton MP, Minister for Health and Wellbeing
Government of South Australia
Kidney Health Australia’s latest kidney disease guide for primary care practitioners is expected to be pivotal in slowing down the rates of kidney failure, which have doubled in the past 20 years and if left unchecked will grow by a further 42% by 2030, according to the health charity.
With specific reference to new kidney treatments and culturally safe kidney care for First Nations Australians, the 5th edition of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Management in Primary Care handbook, known as the ‘kidney bible’, is a significant step-up in enabling earlier diagnosis of kidney disease for GPs and other front-line healthcare professionals.
The number of Australians treated for kidney failure has doubled in the last two decades, causing widespread treatment shortages, increasing costs, and plunging thousands of Australians into highly invasive and life-altering dialysis. With 1.8 million people currently unaware they have kidney disease, this number will only continue to grow.
Breonny Robson, General Manager, Clinical and Research at Kidney Health Australia, said: “The new edition of the GP handbook helps health professionals working in primary care to identify people at risk of CKD in their practice and proactively diagnose CKD. It outlines key strategies to slow the progression of CKD and reduce cardiovascular risk, including simple colour-coded action plans for different stages of the disease.”
Ms Robson added, “It’s an exciting time in CKD care, with new treatments now available that have been shown to slow the progression of CKD to kidney failure by 15 years or more. The handbook contains significant new information on using these medications in people with CKD so that their health outcomes and quality of life can be extended for many years to come.”
The handbook is endorsed by Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology (ANZSN), the Renal Society of Australasia (RSA) and the Australian Primary Healthcare Nurses Association (APNA) and Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM). It has been approved as an Acceptable Clinical Resource by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
South Australian Minister of Health and Wellbeing Chris Picton launched the handbook at an event on World Kidney Day, 14th March, at Royal Adelaide Hospital.
The handbook is available from Kidney Health Australia in hardcopy or free download here https://kidney.org.au/health-professionals/ckd-management-handbook
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Patient-paramedic trust can help free up emergency departments
Dr. Robbie King is a Senior Advanced Care Paramedic with the Queensland Ambulance Service and a community paramedic. He is also a lecturer at the Australian Catholic University in Brisbane. After studying paramedicine and working as a student paramedic since 2009, he recognised that most patients attended by ambulance services did not require emergency interventions.
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Delivering anaesthetic services to countries where surgical services can’t be provided
Dr Wendy Falloon is an Anaesthetist of over 30 years experience and a Fellow of Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA). She studied medicine at the University of Tasmania, and worked in Hobart, Sydney and the Uk while completing her specialist qualifications. Her primary professional focus has always been to deliver the best possible experience of anaesthesia to each and every patient, and for them to know that she sees and values them, and their stories.
Having been born in Africa, she realised even as a child that health and wealth were largely a product of where people happen to be born. This sowed the seed of her ongoing desire to be of help to others in less fortunate circumstances, ultimately leading to her volunteer work with the Mercy Ships charity. This is one of the most fulfilling aspects of her career, and she has volunteered in Africa with Mercy Ships 8 times since 2014.
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Thyroid health into pregnancy
‘Without an adequate amount of thyroid hormone mothers can be exposed to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia or eclampsia, which affect around 10% of pregnant women and are the leading causes of maternal and neonatal mortality worldwide. Mothers who suffer from hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are at increased risk of long-term cardiovascular consequences and hypertensive disorders in subsequent pregnancies. Evidence also indicates a risk of reduced cognitive ability to their offspring.
‘Knowing if you are genetically predisposed to Hashimoto’s or Graves’ Diseases, which are both thyroid autoimmune disorders is important to be aware of, to ensure all appropriate tests are ordered. Autoimmune disorders may predispose mothers to a thyroid problem during pregnancy’, says Professor Creswell Eastman, who also serves as the ATF’s Principal Medical Advisor.
