Primary Healthcare

Biography

Biography: Amna Khalifa Alhadari

Abstract

Prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has been rising steadily, chronic kidney disease is a silent killer, being silent is responsible for its late diagnosis. When the disease is silent (asymptomatic), it is usually detected by primary health care physician on routine testing or incidentally while testing for other problems. It is expected that a growing number of asymptomatic CKD patients will be managed in the primary care setting. There are simple steps to diagnose the disease, and its stages. Some factors such as controlling blood sugar in diabetics and blood pressure in hypertensives may delay the progression of the disease, avoiding nephrotoxins such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain killers may also help delay the needs for renal replacement therapy. These reversible factors could be tackled in primary health care and the time is defined when the care should be shared with the nephrologist. Complications of CKD starts and the symptoms appears with GFR being <30ml/min although it might start earlier in diabetics, this is the stage where the patients should be referred to the nephrologist to attend the pre dialysis educational clinics and to plan their further treatment under the supervision of the expertise and also to meet others who have similar problems. These support groups can be of great help psychologically, being gone through the same steps. Recently, predialysis educational clinics providing information about kidney disease, options for the management of CKD prior to dialysis (including pharmacological and dietary management) and the options for renal replacement therapy, proved to improve outcomes in management of CKD. Similar clinic has been initiated in Dubai hospital with great results.