March is National Kidney Month

3/20/2025

CMC Improves Access to Kidney Care with Inpatient Dialysis

Approximately 35 million American adults have chronic kidney disease – and millions of others are at risk, but may not know it. Kidney disease is often called the “silent killer,” because it has no symptoms until the advanced stage of the disease. In fact, 1 in 7 Americans has chronic kidney disease, but many are unaware that they have it, because they do not feel ill.

The kidneys help our bodies remove waste, fluid and toxins; regulate the body’s supply of water and certain chemicals in the blood (such as calcium, sodium and potassium); and release hormones into the bloodstream that help to regulate blood pressure, create red blood cells, and produce vitamin D that in turn, helps maintain strong bones. According to the National Kidney Foundation, the kidneys perform their life-sustaining job of filtering and returning to the bloodstream about 200 quarts of fluid every 24 hours.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) happens when the kidneys are damaged and unable to perform their cleansing and restorative functions. Over a period of time, this can lead to a build-up of waste matter in the bloodstream, which makes us sick. CKD complications include high blood pressure, anemia, weak bones, nutritional deficits and nerve damage.

Many health conditions can contribute to CKD, but the primary causes are two very common conditions: diabetes and high blood pressure. Diabetes and the accompanying high levels of blood sugar can damage the organs in the body, including the kidneys and heart. High blood pressure, or hypertension, can damage blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the kidneys. When these blood vessels are damaged, the kidneys are less effective at removing waste and extra fluid from the body. The excess fluid, in turn, raises blood pressure even more, which then increases the risk of chronic kidney disease – a vicious cycle. Sometimes, chronic kidney disease may progress to kidney failure, requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Symptoms

Many people will have no symptoms in early stages of the disease. However, some people may experience the following symptoms, in later stages:

• Excessive fatigue and lack of energy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Poor appetite
• Difficulty sleeping
• Muscle cramping at night
• Swollen feet and ankles
• Puffiness around the eyes, especially in the morning
• Dry, itchy skin
• Increased need to urinate, especially at night

If you are experiencing symptoms or have any of these risk factors, contact your primary care provider for a screening.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends the following healthy habits to avoid kidney disease:

• Meet regularly with your PCP
• Manage blood pressure and blood glucose levels
• Take medications as prescribed. Avoid overuse of medications like ibuprofen and naproxen
• Aim for a healthy weight
• Reduce stress and keep up with normal physical activity
• Prioritize getting restful sleep
• Quit smoking

Early Detection and Treatment

Early detection of CKD is can be diagnosed through simple tests such as blood pressure measurement; a blood test for creatinine levels, which tells how effectively your kidneys are removing waste from the blood; and a urine test to measure protein levels in the urine. High levels of protein in the urine may indicate kidney disease.

The first step in treatment is to determine the cause of CKD. Although many causes of CKD remain unknown, there are other reasons for kidney problems, many of which are treatable. These include kidney problems caused by medications that impair kidney function, a kidney stone, obstruction in the urinary tract, urinary tract infection, or decreased blood flow to the kidneys. Treatment of these causes may stop or slow the progression of CKD.

Managing diabetes and high blood pressure can help prevent kidney disease, or keep it from getting worse. Treating high blood pressure with certain medications often helps to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease.

Treatment Available at Carlsbad Medical Center

Through its collaboration with Access TeleCare, Carlsbad Medical Center is able to treat chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury and chronic kidney injury with telenephrology coverage daily  7.a.m- 7 p.m. This service ensures access to inpatient nephrology care, allowing more patients needing kidney treatment to stay close to home for essential health care.

Through this collaboration, on-site physicians, nurses, and other clinical staff connect with an Access TeleCare board-certified nephrologist via secure, high-resolution technology in minutes. On-site clinicians have access to the highest level of telenephrology consultation to respond quickly to diagnose and treat patients with common nephrology conditions, including electrolyte disorders, chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, and renal failure. In addition to telenephrology, CMC also offers inpatient teleneurology and outpatient telepulmonology.

"We are pleased to be able to offer telemedicine services at Carlsbad Medical Center," said Nick Arledge, CMC CEO. "Our collaboration with Access helps patients in our area receive specialized care without having to leave the community."

Carlsbad Medical Center’s Dialysis team consists of (l-r) Danika Saxon, R.N., and April (Elaine) Wilson, R.N., pictured with a portable dialysis machine.

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